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Podcasts 2013
| We all do some things unconsciously that surprise us when we think of them. Why do we do that? Here are two things that we might do well to consider. We have time. | |
| It is the little things that sometimes make a real difference in our life. How do you spend your time? Listening to weather and news? Sometimes we do things without realizing what we are doing. | |
| Retirement sometimes gives us a chance to reunite our families. Though schools and jobs may have separated us from siblings and children we may now have a chance to reunite. Those grandchildren send out a strong signal. Should we move? Or not? | |
| Traveling is one thing many retired people like to do. The experience can be greatly enhanced by exchanging your residence for someone else's. Home Exchange provides a wonderful means for arranging such swaps. We have found our experiences greatly enriched and no money is involved. | |
| Tai Chi has proven itself over hundreds of years to many people. It is good for us. Seeing it practiced and losing my wallet left a lasting impression. | |
| We could all use a map of what might happen if we turn one direction or another. We would like to know which roads lead into a box canyon. That is where experience comes in. It would be well to know what has happened to others that have traveled this road. | |
| Being taken advantage of is a serious matter. The con, or the scam, is always in fashion one way or the other. They can have tragic results and produce compelling stories. | |
| There are some advantages to aging. One is that we have higher BS radar. We learn to be a better judge of character. We have been around the block and can more easily spot the good from the bad. At least we hope so. | |
| Experiences in retirement bring a sharp focus on the time we have to live. If we are paying attention we get an extra incentive to make our time count. Our end can pop up unexpectedly. | |
| Part of the enjoyment of taking a road trip is found in reflecting. We dig out pictures and videos. We listen to audio clips. We look at a big map. Memories are resurrected and pleasure visits us once more. | |
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Our first week on the road: did our plans work? Problems? Experiences. Retirement offers many advantages to travel. We try to not just drive down the road. The goal is to enjoy - each day. |
| We point the car south and east to start an extended road trip. It is fall and it is beautiful all over the country. The Northwest is no different.We are off to a good start. And we find espresso everywhere. (We are presently on a similar trip but I forgot a tiny audio jack which prevents me from recording this week. Sorry.) | |
| Taking a road trip offers us many options. We can choose bike, motorcycle, RV, car, SUV, pickup truck or whatever. The method chosen can determine much about the nature of the trip. | |
| Planning a road trip is part the American Dream. We want to just leave everything behind and find some new adventure. What is around the bend and over the hill? Lets make a plan. | |
| Keeping something out there to look forward to is always good. But we don't want the future, or the past, to cheat us out of the present. | |
| By the time we retire we may know more than we are aware. Sometimes we just need to someone to approve our thoughts and actions. | |
| Retirement can bring into sharp focus our beliefs concerning what we truly value in life. What gives our life meaning rises to the surface through our daily actions. | |
| Being buried under a blanket of guilt doesn't lead to a happy retirement. Must we feel guilty for leaving the world of work? Is it okay to sit still? | |
| Sometimes what our doctor says just doesn't make sense. Somewhere in our bones we just know that can't be. We want another opinion. We should never hesitate on this one. | |
| What do you with your life now that you are retired? It is a commonly asked question. The answer is not so common or easily given. We do lots of things. A sound bite will not suffice. | |
| "He is always underfoot" is a cliche that accompanies men into retirement. Is it true? Surely there is a way to make the situation less deserving of the slur. | |
| It is comforting to stay in the same place a long time. You develop a sense of place. It is exciting to move somewhere else. It is exciting and challenging. Can we have both? | |
| Retiring offers us the opportunity to move. We could live anywhere - in the world; different climate, new surroundings, change in life. Is it worth it? | |
| What is it that will give us eternal happiness? How can we know that what we are pursuing will satisfy our needs. Do we know what happiness is? Seems like we should. | |
| Now that you have decided to retire decisions need to be made that will fulfill dreams or maintain a sense of happiness in your life. What should those decisions be based upon? Life is different after retirement. | |
| How would it be to live in three months in Paris, then Thailand, then Prague, then Puerto Vallarta? That's your first year of living without owning anything. Sell the house, sell the car, sell your stuff. Retirement is the right time. | |
| How do we know when it is time to retire? Will it be the same for us as it has been for others? Is this when we want to not rush life? Or is this time to bail? | |
| Retirement gives us time to - fill in the blank. Food is one of the words that work well. We may want to grow it, cook it or just eat it. Does it give us pleasure? Is it worth the effort? | |
| We want to help but we don't want to enable. Life challenges continually present themselves to our children and grandchildren. We have to be careful with our words and actions. | |
| Sometimes the world feels like it is getting away from us. We find ourselves not knowing just exactly what people are referring to. Not even the words are known. What to do? | |
| Do we take time enough to consider what we actually experience? Do we pause to consider what we are doing with our life? Perhaps we need to take a bit of time to let our life experiences gain meaning. | |
| Just as retirement signifies a step into another phase of life so does high school graduation. Grandchildren bring this past experience back to life to those of us who experience it. This role of being an elder needs to be recognized and celebrated. | |
| Some folks on retirement like to do something reckless, wild, or irresponsible. There is a lot to be said for this attitude. It is something many of us would never consider. Maybe we should. Then again... | |
| We live in a demanding and seductive world. There is competition for our time and energy. Staying focused is not easy. It takes eternal vigilance. | |
| Retirement and getting older can mean we run low on energy sometimes. Then again it may be some other reason for a lack of energy. We shouldn't be to quick to ascribe low energy to aging. | |
| Social lives can become narrow when we leave our jobs. We may have to reach out into new areas for contact. But retirement offers us an opportunity to reach back into our past and touch former friends. We can reconnect. We have time. | |
| At sometime in life everyone dreams of exploring, discovering and going to exotic places. As we grow older we realize that sometimes we don't have to go far. New vistas may be just outside our door. | |
| Retirement brings a host of issues to mind. Money is only one. What we do with the rest of our life has more to do with values: values that are beyond money. | |
| Do doctors know something the rest of us might wish we did when it comes to dying? A recent report would seem to indicate they do. A quick and painless death might get derailed by good intentions. | |
| Possessing a sense of who we are is important. We need to know what ties our family together. It gives us a sense of identity, esteem and self control. Our story shared across generations has special value. | |
| Retirement and birds: how do they fit together? When four birds were killed by flying into my windows glass during breakfast, it got me thinking. Retirement may be a great time to speak up on behalf of birds. However, this retirement podcast is not just for the birds. | |
| It is easy to fall into the habit of uttering the cliche, "would've, could've, should've". Where does that lead? Retirement gives us an opportunity to do what we really want. The old cliche should be put to rest. We are free to choose. | |
| Sometimes we just can't make a move. We just don't know which way to turn. What to do? When this paralysis hits we may need a bit of help - or special resolve. | |
| Family Day is a new National Holiday in Canada. I was there for that occasion. Perhaps many of us could use a little prompting and encouragement when it comes to family relationships. | |
| Reading and retirement seem like a perfect match, like wine and cheese. We have time to read for shear joy. Can there be anything more pleasurable? Perhaps. But it is hard to beat. | |
| Regrets can ruin a day for anyone at any time. They can certainly ruin retirement. Regrets can turn a retirement into a purgatory of inaction? Is there anything we can do about it? | |
| Limits are with us all of our lives. Retirement and getting older only bring different ones our way. How can we adapt to these new parameters? We will have to adjust. This may a good time to become imaginative. | |
| Giving meaning to our life is a solo pursuit. We can't buy it or have it given to us. We have to find our own if we want it to be ours. It really isn't that hard. We just need to be aware and accepting. | |
| Giving meaning to our life is one of retirements main challenges. Parents, teachers and bosses no longer dictate our behavior. We sometimes find this a new and difficult position. | |
| Falling down can change all retirement dreams. We might be well advised to slow down just a bit. As an old Alaskan told me when I headed out for a backpacking trip in the mountains, "If you want to get there you had better slow down." | |
| Change is slow but it can happen. Retirement is not a time to give up on long held dreams. As long as we keep moving in the right directions we can find happiness. That is what Spinoza believed - and so do I. |
Related link: Senior profile: A fulfilling retirement
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/07/16/2596941/bellingham-blogger-theres-much.html
Road Trip USA Series Many retired folks dream of taking an extended road trip across America. Follow us as we plan our trips and actually ride the road. There are two trips taken and described: A. Western, Southern and Southeastern Edge of America and B. American West.
"The Voice of SOAR" is a podcast for members of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees that is maintained by Charlie Averill. Charlie offers a strong political voice concerning retired folks and politics - insightful and passionat. https://soundcloud.com/charlie-averill
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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