KEYS TO HAPPY RETIREMENT

Guess what appeared on my computer news section this morning. Right! an article that stirred my tired brain. I am in the fifth day of what I presumed was a cold. Maybe it was. It has vastly declined as of this morning. I have not wanted much food during some past colds, but this was the first time that food tasted awful, it was great to be hungry this morning and to enjoy the waffles. Thanks Eggo.

Sydney Lagier of US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, for Thursday, July 22, 2010 wrote about 7 Secrets to a Happy Retirement. First, I have no reason to disagree with Sydney. I’m not a researcher and have absolutely no scientific data for anything about to spew from my fingertips. It’s just what I perceive in my tiny corner of “The Home.”

1) Good Health. Makes sense! Who doesn’t want good health? No one here put in an order for bad health at the drive through window of the local health store. Those who have bad health all have it by mistake. Unless you have found the fountain of youth — expect health problems. It will give you something to talk about at coffee.

2) A significant other. No argument here. All the women I know want one. Any size, shape or color will do. No one seems concerned about religion or politics. I thought that was important? We argue about those things a lot. New male arrivals are called “fresh meat.” Smoked, soaked in marinade or dried. Can he walk and talk? Standards decline over the years, obviously.

3) A social network. I always thought everyone wanted friends. I’m not so sure any more. At least a quarter only come out of their apartments for doctors visits. On the plus side, there seem to be small groups gathering through out the day for coffee, cards, puzzles, or just to shoot the breeze. Naturally, gossip is a major point of discussion. Various groups take off for shopping (the window type mostly) walks, lunches, movies, just about anything that costs less or is free. We are BBQing a lot this summer. We make our own happiness. We are not one of those fancy retirement resorts with scheduled activities, busses, lakes or pools, golfing or planned cruises. We’re on the other end. No bus, no activities director, no nothing. We’re told it’s the economy. We live here because of the economy.

4) They are not addicted to television. Amen! With 50,000 channels to choose from there never seems to be anything on anyways. Summer reality shows are designed for the brain dead. Do something or wilt away.

5) Intellectual curiosity. “Adults over 70 who choose brain-stimulating hobbies over TV watching are two and a half times less likely to suffer the effects of Alzheimer's disease.” That’s reason enough. There are many avid readers. Some are great conversationalists. I have found three other history buffs. I could have cared less about history in my younger years. I guess now that I have lived though much of it I want to know how we got to where I am today. Of course, don’t forget about the great mystery, adventure, lawyer or fantasy books. We even have some Twihearts. Romance is big. Some dreams never die.

6) They aren't addicted to achievement. “The more you are defined by your job, the harder it will be to adjust to life without it.” I guess I don’t know anyone like that. Maybe none of us liked our work. I know that’s not true. I loved mine, but could no longer keep up the pace. All of life is about handing the reigns off to the next generation. For most of us, it was time.

7) Enough money. What is enough money? We live to the end of the income in almost all brackets. What ever it is, it’s short. The key is learning to live on what you have. Frankly that is easier as you retire. We no longer have full houses and do not want the work of keeping it us, or the yard. Too much work! The less you have, the more creative you are. At least that’s what we tell ourselves.

We make our own happiness by our outlook on life, view of our circumstances and the choices we make. A former manager once said, “I just wish that lady would wake up one day and decide to be happy.” AMEN!