Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

Retiring and relocating are often times linked together. Once our job ends we are free to move about the country. Will be opt for that choice or not? It might work for us and then again....

Retirement gives us time to do many different things with our lives. Our choices are often times determined by our imagination and our concept of what will bring us the most happiness. Here are a couple of examples that illustrate the decision making process.

After retirement we are faced with the deciding what to do with the rest of our life. How do we address this question? Are there any guidelines or suggestions? One constant seems to be universal: the desire for happiness. We had best know wherein it lies if we ever hope to find it.

When considering retirement, we always wonder if we will have enough money. How can we possible know? Here is what we did - and it seems to have worked - so far.

Deciding if and when to retire are questions many or us wrestle. The pros and the cons can battle on endlessly. Here are some of the reasons my wife and I used making our decision. We are very happy with the consequences.

Retirement seems to be accompanied by the need to visit nursing homes. Parents or friends many times relocate to these facilities as we grow older. Dick Smith shares some of the lessons he has learned that might help with these sometimes difficult visits.

Ever notice how other people sometimes do the most interesting things? We can find examples and inspiration for what makes for a good retirement from others. Sometimes it is our own friends who help illustrate the range of possibilities.

One thing that enhances everything including retirement is good friends. Keeping that fact in the front of our mind might make retirement much more fulfilling. Unfortunately, friends have a way of disappearing. What to do?

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.

What's it like to attend a Winter Olympics? We are having that experience now. So far...even for retired people and for people that are not "rich" it is a great experience! Sometimes life's exotic treats don't lie far from our door step.

We continue our publication of Jackie Spinks' new memoir. This humorous rumination of early family life in a mill town in the Pacific Northwest will bring back many thoughts of attitudes and activities of days gone by. And for retired people it can serve as an inspiration of what is possible when one is 80.

Jackie Spinks continues her reading of her new book. Previous episodes can be found in the Archives and on Jackie Sprinks page.

We continue our publication of Jackie Spinks new memoir. This humorous rumination of early family life in a mill town in the Pacific Northwest will bring back many thoughts of attitudes and activities of days gone by. And for retired people it can serve as an inspiration of what is possible when one is 80.

With this Episode we begin publishing "Frog Spit" a memoir written and read by Jackie Spinks. Jackie grew up in Bellingham, Washington and her humorous writing makes the people, place and time come alive. (This audio book will be published in an ongoing series. Publication of the written text will follow. Look for it on her archive page.)

Life presents us with all sorts of opportunities and choices. Sometimes we know exactly which we want to choose. Sometimes we want to do them all. What to do?

Multitasking just seems to violate all principles of retirement. We are suppose to slow down and take life a little easier. Dick Smith talks about some of his conflicts and solutions to the problem.

Taking a risk by definition always implies a bit of danger; we could get hurt. Doing some thing new and different always includes this factor. We could fail. It can also make life a bit more interesting and exciting. What to do?

Having someone to talk to can be a problem for anyone. As we age conversational isolation can be a more sever problem. We seem to only engage with the TV - and it always just one way. No one listens to us.

January is a time of year when we try to change our lives for the better. Exercise is touted as one of the most important contributors to good health. We know that when we stop moving, we are in trouble. What to do?

In retirement some of us tend to look forward to the future. Others of us tend to look back over our own life. Either way, we make decisions as to the way we spend our retirement years. Making no decisions is a choice we try to avoid. For some of us, it isn't easy.

Our motto has always been to, "Never let the weather dictate what you do with your life". Some people pay a lot of attention to weather. There are lots of reasons to move or relocate when one retires. Weather is one of the main ones, but it is not the only one.

Great expectations are things we associate with young people. But in this time period retired people may have thirty or forty years of good life ahead of them. What are the expectations? Do we prepare for this period in life? Perhaps we should.

Sometimes we just get tired of doing the same ol' thing. We want to change our ways. Here is a great example of a person doing just exactly that. And he isn't a spring chicken.

Where did you learn to care about the environment? Who were your mentors? What role can today's elders play in the care of our earth? These questions evolved out of a recent conference I attended in Vancouver, BC. If your looking for something to do in retirement this might be a good choice.

Many people turn something they do for fun into a career. Creating a joyful retirement may be the time to go the other way and turn a career into a vocation. Dick Smith is our guest.