Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

Retirement is a major life change for us all. We find ourselves "Out of the box" we have been living in for years. Dick Smith shares some thoughts on this new beginning.

Bicycling and retirement seem to go together for many of us. Bicycling can combine fun with exercise, running errands, and just getting around our community. It is good for our health, our pocket book, our environment and our health. Amazing!

Joining a memoir writing group can help in understanding our entire life. It helps us look back; it helps us examine the present and it helps us clarity our connection to others. Dick smith shares these recent thoughts.

Tenting, biking and Elderhostel somehow seemed tied together. They seem to attract like-minded people: young at heart, adventurous, and interesting. Age does not seem to dampen their enthusiasm for life. Here is the story of three such travelers.

Jackie Spinks takes a look at religion in this podcast. A lifetime of experiences have shaped her thoughts and beliefs. One thing about it: religious or not, we spend a lot of time trying to sort out our thoughts concerning this subject.

Here is a description of the technology used and the technological changes that have been required to maintain this podcast as it moves into its fourth year of production. If podcasting is something you have considered in retirement this information might be useful.

Humorous writer Jackie Spinks had a conversation the other day that triggered some thoughts about the word "Dumb". Seems like that is in vogue these days. Heaven knows, we wouldn't want to be accused of being smart.

Train travel is becoming a more appealing method of transportation. Roy Ingham shares some of his thoughts gained via riding Amtrak on many extensive trips over the last decade or so. From one corner of the country to another, he has ridden the rails.

The idea of Downsizing brings many questions to mind. The location and size of the house in which we live is important. Perhaps more important than we realize. It can be an opportunity to re-evaluate the way we live.

"Any man's death diminishes me...". John Donne's famous words were brought to mind by Michael Jackson's memorial service. We all have at least two things in common: we all make mistakes and we all die.

Links to the past continue to be broken as we age. We learn to value what we have. Retirement has it's challenges and dealing with the death of a friend is one. Dick Smith shares his thoughts concerning his friend John.

Retirement and reunions seems to go hand in hand. The question: "Are you going to the reunion?" comes up often. I just experienced my first. Here's the story.

My neighbor down the street retired last year and is still, "lost". He can't figure out what he wants to do with all of this time. Retirement can freeze us with over-choice. It is important to make a choice.

In this episode Dick Smith shares his thoughts with us concerning his recent retirement project of creating a garden. The process has brought to mind other gardens and people that have been part of his life.

Daily routines present themselves to us in retirement - like it or not. Is it possible to turn these into pleasurable moments? The Myth of Sisyphus may be our salvation. Can we learn to, "love our rock"?

Jackie Spinks relates a story about her family history. It seems her Grandmother was not fond of her daughter marrying a boxer. But a boxer with brown eyes and a car...hard to stay away from.

We all have needs throughout our lives. In this podcast Dick Smith considers our needs and how they relate to retired folks. What do we need to not only sustain us but to allow us to flourish at this stage in our lives.

We all have heroes. We need heroes. Pete Seeger is one of mine. Here is a guy with a banjo and a backbone who became an icon during his life time. What is it about people that make them heroic in our minds or our lives?

Taking time for coffee is one of the pleasure of our retired life. For over twenty years we have found time for a trip to the coffee shop on a daily basis. Some might call this a wast of time; but time that is enjoyed is never time wasted.

The last step in the Epicurean development of the Cult of Happiness is to reflect on our planning and actualization. In completing the Road Trip Series the reflections prove enlightening. There were steps to emulate and omissions that should be corrected.

Dick Smith Finds inspiration while drinking coffee with other retired friends. Their conversation and minds mix and bring different views to lives that have spanned the same time frame.

Jackie Spinks tries her hand at poetry in this podcast. Her father - the immigrant - and the depression come together to give us a unique picture of the depression and the present economic predicament.

Retirement may be a time to "kick-back" in some ways. It can afford us more time to consider our own values and those of our community. Dick Smith writes letters to the editor of the local newspaper expressing his values.

I could move to Denver, Colorado. Driving from Jackson, Mississippi we made miles. The road was straight and flat. We did find some interesting stops, but the city of Denver and the local neighborhood of our friend were gems.

A memorable stop on our road trip was the great state of Mississippi. We went there to pay homage to two great American writers and visit a cousin. We left with a deeper understanding of what it means to live in the south.