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Podcast 2019
| This episode is an updated version of a podcast I ran about 10 years ago. I think it still has value and is worth repeating - at least once a year. Keep in mind: we all have to find our own way. This may serve as just one example. | |
| Retirement provides us with time to reach out to the world in a new direction. Some of us hunker down and are satisfied to smell the flowers. Others step out like Vasco de Gama. It helps to keep our eyes and ears open. | |
| What's a friend worth? Of course a price cannot be set on what a friend is worth. Money just doesn’t compute – or convert. Republicans and democrats could probably agree on that one. I think it was Aristotle who defined a friend as one soul in two bodies. | |
| Within two days the whole world had turned. She was receiving lots of smiles back. People were laughing and talking with her. She was soon being invited to coffee or lunch. The next 14 years were very exciting and some of the happiest of her life. | |
| Retirement presents its own set of options. We are no longer limited by earning an economic livelihood. We are free in a way that we may have never experienced. What is important is making a choice. Retirement gives us the space and opportunity to choose. We can do if we so desire. | |
| Having and maintaining good friends is not always easy. People move and people die. I recently heard of a novel attempt to answer this need; technological innovation that holds some promise of relief for the situation: Computers that feel like dogs, hear like people, and talk in whatever dialect you choose. | |
| Retirement grants us an opportunity to take a close look at weather and how it might affect our daily lives. Many are the retired people who move miles from where they have worked to live a more comfortable life in their later years. They want to live where the sun always shines. | |
| Today my first book review: “Ready to Rightsize, A step-by-step guide to your rightsizing journey: for older adults and their loved ones” by Jeannine Bryant. Like me, she is a Midwesterner by birth and seems to be able to put a lot of thought into a few words. | |
| Expectations are something we retired people may need to give a bit more attention. Because we retire doesn’t mean we have to sit on a shelf. We need to prepare for retirement. Some questions we need to explore are: Where are we going to live? What are we going to do to be engaged? How will we get around? And how will we maintain or create a social network? | |
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We think about what we want to do with our life and then develop habits that fulfill those thoughts. Not all of us do that. Some of us probably just fall into one thing or another. We don't sit down and consider just exactly what we want to do with our lives. |
These past two weeks I received two letters that call for a response. One having to do with the Conversation I discussed in episode 644 concerning end of life issues. Sometimes we have to modify our wishes with reality. Once again the existentialist win the day. Sysiphus smiles and leans against his rock and pushes it up the hill. He has learned to love his rock. |
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| We sat around tables in the Vancouver Library for the entire day trying to figure out what we could do to help guide our communities of families, neighbors and countries in a more environmentally aware way. Our general conclusion was that we need to share our stories with our children, with our grandchildren and with our neighbors. | |
| Most of us are not going to go gently into the night while being in a deep, peaceful sleep. So let’s give our families the gift of planning ahead, so they don’t have to make really hard decisions when we’re sick, without knowing exactly what we really want. | |
| I know, breathing is natural. We do it without thinking, but sometimes - we forget. It seems that when we look at computer screens or television screens we change our ordinary breathing patterns. It is called screen apnea. | |
| Truth, Justice, God, Beauty, and Politics. What should we do with our life? There are lots of questions. It seems that once we answer these questions life would be much better. The word “contentment” comes to mind. We might find contentment. | |
| "Who made the rule, anyway?" We retired folks need to asked that question about a lot of things. We have a lifetime of experiences to guide us in decision making. Some questions require lots of examination and experiences. Perhaps we are best suited to make rules or changes in rules. “We’ve been around", so to speak. | |
| We still have some people among us who are "Flat-Earthers". When it comes to politics, well, we have people telling us everything. Who are you suppose to believe? | |
| How much money is enough? That’s a pretty good question. When people consider retirement, that is usually first and foremost in their minds. They just don’t seem to know how much is enough. There seems to be no hard and fast rule. | |
| Biking is one of my favorite things. And it seems to be getting more popular every day with the creation and distribution of e-bikes. Retirement sometimes brings a heightened awareness for including exercise in our life. Biking may be for you. | |
| Having and maintaining a sense of adventure stays with many of us well into retirement. Here are a few examples of what others have done. That might appeal to you no matter your age. | |
| Keeping up with changes in technology the effects our lives is not easy. It requires constant attention. Looking at it another way it allows us to continue to be mentally challenged that can last us right into the grave. It is suppose to be good for us to stay mentally active. Keeping up may be a blessing. | |
| Moving into different quarters as an older person presents certain challenges. Many times the choice is between a different size and/or a different location. What is one to do? One needs to consider many factors. | |
| Retirement and reunions seem to go together. For many of us it is a time to look back and review much of our lives. That review may also include the opportunity to attend a reunion of one type or another. "Should we stay or should we go" again comes into play. | |
| "Should we stay or should we go". We need to make up our minds. The worse thing we can do is not make a choice. Life is filled with choices and rather than just sit there... | |
| 631Boring Becomes Enjoyabe | Little things have a way of reappearing on a daily basis. They can become boring. What to do? Thinking about it can make a difference. |
| Having someone to look up to seems to be a human necessity. We like heroes. And there are all kinds that might last us a lifetime. Retirement doesn't mean the end of emulating those we admire. | |
| Being taken advantage of can become a real problem as we get older and as we care for those that are getting older. High pressure and unethical businesses that are guided by only the morality of making high profits can become a serious threat. | |
| Getting out of the house and into the community is one of the issues that can face the retired. We are urged to volunteer or join groups or organizations. We have found that coffee shops can sometimes satisfy this need or opportunity. | |
| We all have sleepless nights. Some more than others. Feeling guilty about one thing or another often is the cause. We can't seem to escape the feeling we have done something wrong. Why is that? | |
| Retirement requires some careful consideration if you want to do something other than sit in front of the tube and watch soap operas or sporting events. Anything else requires a bit of planning and direction just to get started. Projects are one of the ways to approach this. | |
| Neighbors present a special opportunity for all of us. They can really enhance our days. Having a good relationship with your neighbor can make each day of retirement very pleasant.. It is worth giving some thought as to how we might best get along with them before we do something we might regret each and every day. | |
| Today I want to give some thought to that famous or infamous statement, “I'm from the government and I'm here to help ”. Retired people have a little history to inform the validity of our relationship to our government. | |
| Retirement is usually accompanied by getting older. We age. We become a bit more concerned with our health - physical and mental. What to do? It seems like there is one suggestion that improves both. We might do well to make this part of our daily routine. | |
| Ever get the feeling that whomever you are talking to doesn't have political views that coincide with yours? What to do? Start a civil discussion? Let it go? End the conversation and move on? Take a stand and let the chips fall? | |
| "I love my work". Many of us have said that more than once. However, when we retire we rarely continue to work for free. Money is part of our relationship to the job we love. There can be exceptions. | |
| We don't like to think about suicide. It has a stigma attached which we try to avoid. It is not so for many of us under certain conditions. Several states have accepted the practice with just a slight change in terminology to "Death With Dignity" or "Assisted End of Life" terminology. | |
| We all have our moments. Moments that are so upsetting; so unsettling that we lose sleep. Frustration circles in our mind and will not let sleep come. Sometimes we can take action and sometimes we just have to ride it out. | |
| It isn’t easy to maintain a sense of self and a sense of direction. The media and the commercialization of our society continually undermine it. Retirement throws us into a new world where we have to assert ourselves. Work is no longer our major source of identification. | |
| There is no question about the connection between retirement, food and retirement. We like to "do lunch". We have time to linger over a meal that tempts us with more and more food and drink. We like to travel and taste exotic foods. We gain weight. And that is not good. | |
| There are some things that seem to evolve right along with us as we age. One of them is the physical change. We all know that. Some things we may have not experienced before and never really felt the need to inquire into. Dermatology is one. | |
| "Death and taxes are the only two things of which you can be sure", goes an old family and possibly universal saying. Retired folks are old enough to know both are true. This podast focuses on just the death factor and being prepared. | |
| It isn't easy to keep up with technological changes. It takes intention, effort and time to even keep close. Out other choice is to refuse and stay the course. Living with only snail-mail, a land-line and an antenna on the roof would take an adjustment. | |
| Friends can make all the difference in one's life. We not only want them but we need them. Retirement can bring an end to many long term friendships. We, and our friends, tend to move on. What to do? Sometimes we just have to extend ourselves. | |
| Relaxing is something I had to learn. I guess I learned to be tense first. Then came conscious effort to master the relaxation. Sometimes we don't even recognize that we are tense. It is important to know the difference. | |
| This is a continuation of the previous podcast focused on going south for the winter. What is it like? | |
| Retirement and going south for the winter seem to go together like cookies and ice cream. We just made such a move. Here is a brief description of our experience. It might help you consider steps involved. | |
| ALASKA! That is the dream destination of many, many retirees. We just want to go. This is one of those dreams that is readily available and possible. Here is a story of how I went to Alaska and suggestions for you to venture north. | |
| It is amazing how much upkeep one requires as we age. Our houses, our cars, our furniture, our bodies, our mind: they all require constant attention. We can just let them go but we know that damage will be done and we will have to pay the price. | |
| 606 Habits | Falling into or creating new habits are are different. Some times falling into habits can cause problems. It is usually much better to consciously creating habits. We want good habits that have been carefully considered. |
A resource from a listener: Best Free Online Degrees for Seniors guide is designed to assist seniors who aspire to enhance their intellect or consider starting a new career path. It features an overview of the top online degrees for seniors, emphasizing their numerous advantages, and a broad range of subjects to choose from. A friend's website: Terra Firma Designs: Fine Furniture, Stained Glass and woodworking workshops. Copyright 2010 RetirementTalk.org |
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