Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

When we retire there may seem to be no reason to get out of bed. "Let us then be up and doing" runs a line from one of my favorite poems. We need to create our own milestones - and that takes gumption.

Grit is one of the character qualities we admire. We are not born with grit in our blood. We acquire it. Kindness, compassion, charity and love must also be learned. Where do we learn those? Will they stay with us throughout retirement?

Good health will end. Life will end. We need to consider that in our decisions about what we are doing with our life on a daily basis.

Aristotle believed that real friendship demanded duration. Time has a way of cementing relationships. Retirement offers us an opportunity to reconnect with people from our past. It can be one of our most enjoyable experiences.

Recognition is a basic human need. We want people to acknowledge our existence. Sometimes retirement seems to come with a sense of invisibility. What to do?

"Democracy requires educated citizens." So said our elementary school teachers. Do we have an obligation to stay in the harness? It isn't easy.

Good neighbors make life so much better. It took the Olympic Games to get us and our neighbors together. It shouldn't be so difficult.

Retirement and stories go together. Life and stories go together. We retired folks have many experiences to share. Putting them in story form may be the best way to pass on our heritage.

Finding information concerning our heritage is important to many retired folks. We finally have time to investigate. DNA offers a window into our identity that will enlighten and may surprise us.

Considering retirement brings certain aspects of life and death into clear focus. It is important to come to grips with our own tenuous grip on life when considering retirement.

We are not suppose to fail but that just doesn't make any sense. The road to success is lined with failure. We need to experience it; get use to it and even welcome it. It is part of life.

What is it you do where the time just disappears? Some of us have difficulty deciding what to do in retirement. It might be easier than you think to find what it is you really love.

Biking is an activity that gets you around, gives you exercise and is fun. How can you beat that? Retirement is a perfect time to adopt this form of mobility. It can literally take you in a new direction.

We don't all retire or consider retirement for the same reason. We don't all think alike on many things. We might benefit by keeping this little fact in mind when considering retiring, or considering anything else.

Riding a train from coast to coast is a romantic dream of many. Retirement is the perfect time to realize this dream. What is it like? Is it worth it? Do you really get a good view of the country? Our experience may help you decide.

Boston is about American as you can get. It has a sense of time and class about it. It exudes a sense of quality and confidence. We loved our visit. But it seemed like more people could be living downtown? Somehow.

There is only one New York City. We had wanted to visit for a long time and only in retirement decided that it was now or never. Visiting takes energy and our supply is not increasing. We did not rush. It is the only way to enjoy a visit. And if you can't enjoy it, why bother?

Taking a trip requires planning and creates anticipation. Things may go wrong even before you get out the door. Adjustments are sometimes needed.

Transportation can be a serious problem as we move into retirement years. Getting to the store, post office, restaurant, etc. can be challenging. How do we cope with getting around as we age?

Can we choose to be happy and have it really happen? Here is a story of one person who did just that. K. Eileen Allen has written a book entitled, "I Like Being Old". Not that I'm "old" or that you are. But we can all learn something from her. Here is what I took away from her story concerning happiness.

Retirement offers us a chance to do things we have never been able to do. One of the big ones is to slow down and change our attitude towards what we can and cannot do. We can reassess our skills, abilities and our self-confidence.

Is there such a thing as a retired state of mind? What might it be? If there is and if we bring it to the surface perhaps it will serve us well.

We all have a tendency to look backward occasionally. Sometimes we romanticize that glance. We like to remember only the good. But it isn't honest nor accurate. Our attention might better be focused on appreciating the present.

Making a life list works well for some. Considering what you want to do in life and writing it down can be good at any age. Sharing that list can make it all the more worthwhile.

Heather Leach is a writer living in a hill town in the Derbyshire Dales area of England. Her retirement has included relocating and living for a year in France. Here is my first Skype to Skype interview.