Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

It is easy to let things slide. The paint on the house ages. The drapes fade and sag. The belt gets tighter around the waist. Upkeep is need for the house, furniture, body and the mind. Neglect upkeep and the slide into old age becomes all to evident to everyone. Of course, some go beyond just keeping up to actually improving. Life get better!

Telling old stories to folks that aren't interested is an open pit for retired folks. Dick Smith talks of the need for the telling and yet the care concerning when and where the telling takes place.

Traveling to Alaska is one activity the seems to be on many a retired person's list. The lure of the North and Arctic is well founded. And the time to go will never be better than the present moment. The journey is easier than you might think. Retirement is the time to actualize that long held dream.

Jackie Spinks takes a shot at 2030. She paints with a broad brush. She is familiar with making mistakes and seems only sure that more will be made, What will the future look like?

Communicating across generations is a challenge. We must all invent our own methods. Computer kids pose unique challenges. We need a plan. Grandparents have a unique position to pass on wisdom gathered from experience.

Each generation seems to have its complaints concerning the generation following. Understanding this common condition may help us better manage our own views of human behavior.

By the time we reach retirement age we have almost cemented in some habits. We all have them. Yet, changing them is possible. The trick is to develop good ones rather than bad ones. Aristotle gave us some good advice on this one.

Important political issues are like Elephants running through out living room. They are massive, numerous, and completely ignored. When it comes to politics, truth and common sense have taken on these Elephant-like characteristics.

New Year's Resolutions are intended to guide us through the year. A Life List can do that on a much more grand scale. Retirement is a great milestone when a new list might be in order.

Holidays can be trying times for the retired. We are suppose to enjoy them. Best that we not get caught without a plan.

Time takes a toll on a house and on a person alike. Repair and maintenance are needed. Retirement is a time to become a weaver of sorts. It is a time to repair and embellish. Dick Smith is my guest.

"I think old is better". Jackie Spinks has drawn some conclusions concerning various phases of life. She speaks from years of experience.

Transportation can be a serious problem as we move into retirement years. We live in a car focused environment and our car days may be numbered. Getting to the store, post office, restaurant, etc. can be challenging. How do we cope with getting around as we age

Experiences can take on new form when evaluated later in life. We may have learned to be a bit more compassionate - even to ourselves. It may be worth the time to reexamine some of our troubling thoughts.

Retirement is the last act in this drama called life. What will be the nature of this - final act? New dimensions other than work will have to serve to identify us.

Retirement can be a time of hesitation, retreat, and drift. Or, it can be a very busy time of doing exactly what you want. The key is to know what you want.

Human development is well charted for the young. There is little guidance for the retired. Retirement gives us time to come to terms with what makes us and the world go round. It also gives us time to find the center of ourselves.

Casinos have sprouted up like flowers, or weeds, - blooming all along the roads. They can be dangerous places; especially for retired folks

Reaching retirement age has it's benefits. Life experiences help shape our thinking. Political promises can appear transparent. Gun Control is a perfect example.

Dogs give us unconditional love. This can be an invaluable addition to life at the time of retirement. There can be problems, but having a dog can bring a whole new reason for living into our life. And it gets us outside.

We would all like to leave the world a better place. We like to think that our generation will correct mistakes made by our elders. Our children will inherit a better place. I was surprised by my conclusions.

Social isolation is a major problem in retirement. We can loose all emotional contact with people. Our dignity and sense of self worth can force us to retreat. What to do?

Enjoying retirement is a result of many factors. The most important being that death has not snatched us away earlier. If we escape it long enough, we may enjoy retirement and a good story.

"Freedom" is a word that is often used in conjunction with retirement. For some, this freedom is appreciated and liberating. Other retirees seem to drowned in it. They can't move. What makes for these apparently different results?

This age of technology isn't easy for some of us. It requires that we learn something new constantly. Of course, learning can be fun and the world in which we live can be very exciting. Best to keep up than die early.