The Other Side of Retirement August 19, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Life Balance.comments closed
I’m reading letters written by my dad’s dad in the 1950’s after he retired from his rural mail route in Vermont after 30 years of service.
While writing the first of the letters, he was only 7 years older than I am now.
He kept busy with a variety of seasonal interests: gathering sap to make maple syrup in the spring; planting and harvesting potatoes, beans, corn, peas, and strawberries in the spring and summer; cutting hemlocks for sale to the mill as time permitted; hunting in the fall; and heading south to Florida during the harsh winter months (except when the Vermont legislature sat in session in Montpelier and he claimed seat #87 as Town Representative for Hartland).
His second wife also pursued seasonal interests: dressmaking classes in the spring; canning fruits, vegetables, and meat and tending her flowers during the spring and summer; babysitting for my cousins on an as-needed basis; and traveling to Montpelier and Florida during the winter months, with pit stops in New Jersey to visit my parents as they began married life together, bought their first house, and welcomed my older brother into the world.
Reading about how my grandparents “spent their retirement” caused me to reflect on my own choices and pursuits.
For the last 10 years of my working life, I worked for non-profits to “give back to the community.”
Now, my time is my own to spend as I see fit . . . and I love it!
My days are populated with a variety of interesting activities. I am never bored and there is always more to do than time to do it.
If I get bored or run out of things to do, I’ll volunteer or get a part time job, but for now I’m happy with the status quo.
That was not always the case.
When I first stopped practicing law, I searched high and low for “meaning” and “purpose” ~ convinced that I needed to do something “significant” with my life.
Now, not so much.
Much of the desire “to leave a lasting mark” stems from Ego and its incessant demand for applause, accolades, and approval. Ego wants recognition for its accomplishments while on life’s stage and yearns for immortality in death.
Using an internal barometer and compass to direct and govern my actions has allowed me to embrace peace and happiness in relative anonymity.
I no longer feel any urgency to be more than I am.
Realizing that I have nothing to prove provides meaning enough for me.
Aah . . . that’s better!
After enlightenment, the laundry. ~ Zen Proverb
Related post: “Just Be” and “I Am” . . . Rocking My World (In The Stillness of Willow Hill)
Spirit Lights The Way 