Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

Retirement brings with it time to consider what we really think is important in life. It gives us time to focus on what we believe has been our strengths and weaknesses. Now we can choose to be the person we have always wanted to be.

"Small Is Beautiful" is one of my favorite books. I read it perhaps 40 years ago and it left a lasting mark. Retirement gives us more time to consider what really matters in life. Some of our views of life can be summed up in seemingly simple terms.

We pick up lots of experiences and stories as we age. Retirement gives us time to pass some of this information on to our grandchildren and those of younger generations. We might want to spend some time and effort in this pursuit. Perhaps in the form of letters or in the form of personal conversation.

The Ten Thousand Hour Rule has become popularized through a book by Malcolm Gladwell. The idea is that if you spend enough time practicing your desired goal you will arrive. Perhaps there is a bit more to it than time spent.

Technology comes at us whether we like it or not. We can ignore it or we can take a ride. What are the consequences?

We have all heard that practicing Tai Chi is good for us. I have practiced it for over the past 20 years. Here is my story.

The thought of our own death can be disturbing if not paralyzing. It might be best to give this one a little deeper thought. What may be seen as disturbing can also be seen as our biggest blessing.

What's it like to be a vegetarian? Why does someone decide to not eat meat? Doesn't it take all the joy out of eating? Isn't their diet very boring? When we retire may be the perfect time to try it. Here is my story.

We like to think that the longer we live the more we learn. We encourage education in our own children. We tell them stories hoping they learn something from them. We like to think the scientific method and rational thought can lead us out of the wilderness. Sometimes it appears we are going no where, or even backward.

We all know what taking a risk means. We also know the reward that may accompany it. We are excited. We feel the thrill of living on the edge. Stepping out on to new turf or emerging ourselves in something a bit challenging can offer big rewards.

Retirement gives us time to indulge in new experiences. One of our most interesting adventures came not from getting on airplane or driving away in an RV. We simple went down to the court room and witnessed a real murder trial. It was different from that we read of in the news, in books, or view on TV.

There is a big difference in questions. Some are big or important and some are small or relatively insignificant. One thing they have in common: they seem to never end. It would sure be nice if we could satisfy ourselves for once and all. Then we might find some peace.

It isn't good to be accused of waffling. We like people who make decisions and stick with them; especially politicians. But should we? What is to be said for changing our mind? Maybe that is a sign we have learned something. We older folks might want to keep that in mind.

We all have problems. Sometimes we slip into a giant hole by assuming problems that are not really ours. We think we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. At times we may need to wake up or step aside so we have a chance at enjoying the day.

We all run out of gas: not with our car but with our own body. We get tired. When we retire and age we sometimes feel like this more often than we use to. Is there a way around this drain of energy? Something to think about.

Poetry sometimes cuts right through the chatter. We can learn things from poets. We might want to give poetry and poets a little more time now that we are retired - and have the time.

This podcast first aired in 209. It is one of my favorites. Retirement and heart attacks sometimes go together. We just retire and then... Guest, Dennis McKinnon describes his experience of exuberant retirement, heart attack, road to recovery and how he did it. The importance of taking care of your health is illustrated beautifully.

We know that without good health life itself disappears. That tells us how important it is when we consider what we are doing with our life on a daily basis. It is always best to put put health in first position.

Staying healthy is not easy. It is also not foremost in our minds most of the time. We get lost in other "important" things. Retirement brings the importance of our health more into focus. We are getting older and our bodies are surely changing.

Conversation consists of talking and listening. Many is the time my wife and I have walked away from talking with people and commented that "They didn't find out one thing about us." Listening is a skill that comes up short. What to do?

Imagining what you would like to do in retirement is something we have all done before we retire. Trouble is we have little practice in doing this on our own. We usually have parents, teachers, bosses or children helping to determine our choices. We need to resurrect this long lost art of imagining in retirement.

Life can become boring when we are working or when we are retired. How can we add excitement, novelty and change into our lives. These are important aspects that demand attention. They don't happen on their own.

Here is an example of planning for retirement and having it all come to fruition. The dream of living on a boat, writing, painting and enjoying nature all come true for some.

Doing nothing during retirement is a choice we might make. Some folks call it just being lazy and feel guilty. Others call it living at the moment and call it perfect.

Road trips are one of my favorite things to do. Winter road trips are totally different from those that are taken in other seasons. Here is a story of our first winter adventure going down the road.