Retirement Talk For Boomers, Seniors, And Retirees

We grandparents, we elders, pass on the responsibility of learning to another generation and hope for the best. We hope we have done our job in an effective fashion. One last challenge lies ahead. We have to let go.

When I stepped into the world of retirement I never thought I was leaving the real world. Now it seems like I see something, read something or hear of something of which I know nothing every day. I’m completely in the dark today about crypto-currancy. Also tick-tock, Instagram, snap-chat and all sorts of other stuff.

Sometimes we just get too busy doing things that we forget to think. Not that I am against doing things. I like to be busy. But not busy all the time and not busy without giving much thought as to why I am doing whatever I am doing.

There is something about ritual ceremonies that glue us all together. I had thought it was just a couple of hours to sit through and then present them with a gift and that would be it. But that wasn't the case.

For some reason the whole idea of becoming irresponsible is so very attractive to me. Now I just have to think of something that might fill the bill.

How many times a day does one have to be informed of the stock market report or the weather forecast? Seems like once a day might be plenty. It is hard to stay focused on enjoying the birds in the sky or the smell of the flowers when one's attention is constantly being jerked about.

Energy is a precious commodity. We want to put one step in front of the other. The tank will eventually run dry but if there is a way to get a refill or plug any leaks we want to take advantage.

Life continues to offer us new experiences. They come if we are willing to take a bit of a risk and accept them. It is much safer to just keep life on an even keel. New ventures require new efforts and thoughts. Reconnecting to old friends may be very well worth the effort.

I love our days in the city. You don't have to go far to feel like an explorer. There is more novelty and more surprises waiting just around the corner. It is this daily discovery that keeps me smiling.

It has been the basic premise of these podcasts that there is more to life than money. Thinking carefully about what we are doing with our limited time seems much more important.

Why,you might ask, am I going into such detail for you. It is our response to your recent podcast topic. In January you spoke of "Finding Meaning in Retirement". Here is the story of one podcast listener.

It is important to share information from one generation to the other. History gives stability and a sense of identity to children. This stability and sense of self control helps establish a positive psychological grounding that enables children to face realities of life.

Considering the end of one's life is not a pleasant subject. But considering the little known information that is in direct opposition to reality is even more unpleasant. This is one place where it might pay off to plan ahead and be very proactive.

I have always believed that I did take the road less traveled by - and that it did make all the difference. But maybe I have been deluding myself. And you?

We know when we are spinning our wheels. We know when nothing is happening in our lives. We know we need a change. Perhaps the problem isn't our being stuck, The problem is getting unstuck. Deciding what to do? Which way to turn?

Canada is on to something with making Family Day a national holiday. It seems so appropriate and filled with meaning. Hopefully it will prompt many phone calls, trips or letters.

Retirement introduces a special element to our reading life. We can feast over the entire reading realm. There are no limitations; sort of like our earliest experiences. We can read for pleasure alone.

Dealing with regrets is a topic that was suggested to me by a loyal listener. I thought I could deal with it but it is proving more difficult than I could imagine. I like to look at the present and the future. Dreams seem to be about the only time mistakes of the past surface.

We got an email from a friend a few years ago when he was celebrating his 88th birthday in Sarasota, Florida. "Going to dinner with my granddaughter and her Dad. Got myself a massage and just got home from my playwriting class. Busy day for an 88 year old."

We know having meaning in our lives is important but sometimes we have trouble finding it. Many times It may be more of a problem of recognizing it. We may already have found meaning in our life and just not recognize it as such.