I'm Retired... Now What
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Learning Ceramics, Pottery, and Sculpture
As I was developing these ideas, certain influential people in my own life came to mind. One of those people is my aunt Cindy. Prior to retiring, she made beautiful pottery. My hope is that she reads this book and, now that she is retired, starts making pottery again. I urge everyone to learn a hobby. You can start by looking into how to make ceramics, pottery, or sculptures. Yes, artistic attributes are a plus, but most teachers of this craft tell me that patience is the most important attribute in creating “masterpieces.” I put quotes around masterpieces, but remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My aunt will talk down about her work, but I think her creations are fantastic!
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Studying Interior Design
This next one I came up with because I think that most people desire the niceties in life but don’t have the education to design or decorate. How about a study in interior design? I love my wife with all my heart, but when it comes to decorating, she doesn’t have the background to catapult her creativity. Study as an apprentice under an interior decorator, take some online courses, or enroll in a college that offers the courses. You may not have a desire to become a full-time interior designer, but you may develop a simple “touch of charm” that will wow all your friends.
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Designing and Making Clothing
Creativity and the skill to follow directions are the characteristics you’ll need for the next adventure: designing and making clothing. Walk into a fabric store and you will see that the biggest obstacle in making clothing is learning how to follow directions that come with the patterns. Most people think that sewing is difficult; however, I remember sewing pants and a tie in high school. I can still today put a hem in my pants and sew up a hole. How did I learn this? I took a class, of course. This class happened to be given by an individual, but most sewing centers also offer sewing classes. Any specialty store that sells sewing equipment generally offers classes. The reason behind this is to spark more interest so they can sell more products. Classes range from those designed for beginners and move on up to advanced. There are many sewing groups/clubs that meet and generally advertise meetings at sewing centers.
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Crafting Items for Donation
So, you want to leave this world a better place than how you found it? Couple that idea with your creativity, and you have your next adventure: crafting items for donation. Churches, civic groups, and other organizations often host various fund-raising activities. Therefore items such as art projects, birdhouses, decorative items for the home, or homemade blankets would be possibilities, but your skills and imagination are what will further this adventure.
Although I don’t condone the behavior, people seem to want to receive something in return when donating. The secondary benefits that carry forward from doing this adventure could include advertising of your craft through the recognition received and potential tax advantages that come with donations to eligible organizations.
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Building a Point of Interest
Have you ever visited the world’s largest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas, the teapot in Chester, West Virginia, or the thermometer in Baker, California? Well, they had to start somewhere! What an adventure it would be to build a point of interest. It can be something serious, funny, or informative, or whatever you want it to be. Let your mind do the work of exploring ideas.
Whether the idea is for personal usage, for a good laugh, or to see how much attention you can generate, the adventure (fun) is in the doing!
As a character said in the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” When saying “they” here, I am referring to other retirees, most of whom have not read this book and are bored out of their minds. Those who have read this book stop to log this point of interest on their Life Adventure Inventory Sheet (located in the final chapter), which they will write about in their book, blog, or video diary.
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Inventing a New Device
For those looking for the most creative adventure, inventing a new device may be the right choice for you. Not everybody can just wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to invent something new.” Have you ever thought to yourself when you saw a new invention, “Why didn’t I think of that?” or “I had the same idea a few years ago”? It may be beyond your capacity, but maybe you do have the innovative nature inside of you. An invention does not have to be a physical product that you operate by hand; today in the technological age, an invention can be a new website. An invention is just a product that is new and assists in performing a task.
Here are a couple of things to remember before you get started:
1. Don’t forget to document the development of your idea step by step; then at least if someone steals your idea, you have documentation (or you can turn it into a book).
2. Don’t think you have to have a lot of money to invent something. If your product is worthwhile, someone will pay to build it for you.
3. If you invent a product, don’t forget to patent it. In case your invention already was patented (someone already thought of it), you can modify the idea and it still may get patented.
4. Don’t fall for those invention-idea companies. Most are just a scam, and very few ever get a product picked up by a manufacturer.
Now, put on your thinking cap and start designing!
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Naming a New Star
If you ever do the research online, you will discover that “Name a Star” is the name of a novelty gift company. The fact is that the International Astrological Union (IAU) does not recognize the names from the companies that “sell” the naming of the stars. However, if you are up for a really unique and recognizable adventure, find a new star and name it. Currently there are approximately 945 million cataloged stars. Just like in Hollywood, stars are born and die all the time. Therefore, search the nighttime sky and you may just discover a new star, comet, asteroid, or alien spacecraft. But remember, if you discover it, you have to name it, and the IAU will then assign a number to it.
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Transferring Old Videos/Pictures to Modern Media
I can say that this next adventure idea was taken from the many projects that my mother took on in the onset of her retirement. To occupy her time she would transfer old videos/pictures onto new technology. Whether it was scanning in pictures and saving them to a CD or transferring old eight-millimeter films to VHS and then to DVD, this provided her hours of unending work. But even this process is not complete for dear Mom. Technology has now advanced to the point that she can spend more time transferring media to the hard drive on her computer or to the “cloud.” Too bad the cloud was not available when she began this process. She could have skipped a step, like you can now!
More importantly what I like about this adventure is that it provides you time to reminisce about the past and relive the times when the pictures were taken.
I should put a dollar sign next to this adventure because if you were to get good and creative, you could charge all of those other people who don’t have time for transferring their old videos and/or pictures to modern media. All it takes is one fire in your house and you will regret never having done this, because in today’s high-tech world, once the items have been transferred to digital format, they can be uploaded and secured from ever being damaged.
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Learning to Play an Instrument
Here’s a new and creative idea: learn to play an instrument. A friend of mine recently retired, and she learned to play the piano. My wife and I talk about taking banjo lessons (it’s a Southern thing); however, our busy schedule prevents us from setting aside the time to do so. Also, studies have proven that children who learn to play a musical instrument have improved math skills, and the same should apply to mental acuteness in adults. Has there ever been an instrument you’ve yearned to learn?
My action plan to incorporate this in my daily life is:
IV
Intellectual Challenges
Ever heard the famous slogan, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste”? No matter how young or old you are, when people stop exercising their mind because they do not recognize the need, their mental and physical health begin to deteriorate. The mind must be continually challenged to stay active. Whether it is through independent creative thinking or formal intellectual enrichment, the quintessential determination of longevity is the willingness to challenge the mind to constant exercise.
This chapter challenges the mind to continually process new information. Although at first glance at the section title you may have thought that this section would be solely dedicated to learning, regular maintenance is another great aspect to include. As I have always told clients and associates, “As long as my noodle still operates, I can make a supportive living to provide for my family.”
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Learning a New Language
Learning a new language is one of my favorite adventures. There is nothing less true than the old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” It is a lie. Anybody at any age can learn a new language. As a retiree, your time is dedicated to freedom! Anybody can learn a language, at least on a conversational level, in four to six months by just practicing for one hour a day, five days a week. By the time I turn sixty, my goal is to have learned four languages. In the summer of 2014, my goal was to learn a conversational level of Spanish. My next goal is to learn French.
How do I learn these languages in a land where my native tongue predominates? If you don’t practice it every day, how can you learn the language? Choose a method that works best for you; immersion, computer software, language courses at a nearby college, hire a tutor or develop a friendship with a native speaker, you are only limited by your imagination.
So, what’s holding you back? Time? You’ve made it this far in life, so it’s not intelligence. Try it; you won’t fail. I promise.
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Going (Back) to College
If Rodney Dangerfield could do it, you can, too. Go back to college or get started if you haven’t gone before. Whether you already have a degree or want to pursue a new degree, gaining or extending an upper-level education will occupy a tremendous amount of your time. Going to a traditional college does not always have to be your course of action for this adventure; what about culinary school, art school, technical trade school, seminary, and so forth? The ideas are limitless. In the past, I’ve heard people say, “I’m too old to go back to college.” I’ve never understood this phrase, since I am constantly reading about eighty-and ninety-year-olds graduating from college. Also, I read all the time about former executives going to seminary or culinary school to pursue a dream they’ve always had.
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Reading
Outside of my father’s fifty million items on my mom’s honey-do list, he likes to make an escape through mental adventures. That’s right; he loves to read. Reading may seem monotonous, but take control of this adventure and mix it up. Challenge yourself to do what you have never done before. If you are non-fiction person, try mixing it up and read fiction. Another idea is to choose a long series of novels and read through it. For those who are not avid readers, don’t force yourself to start reading; you will bore yourself to death.
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Auditing College Classes and Lectures
So college is too expensive or maybe too much of a commitment? Why not audit college classes? To audit a class is to take a class without the benefit of a grade. You do it for self-enrichment or academic exploration. Generally colleges and universities will allow you to sit on classes; however, it is always limited to space availability. What about if you were to sit in on lectures? Maybe a full semester is too time consuming, or maybe there is a presenter who will be speaking to a particular class or on a topic you would like to learn more about. Most colleges allow you to attend these lectures, again, based on space availability. The college or university’s goal is to pique your interest and get you to enroll in the classes; however, if it is a state-funded university, the goal is to educate the taxpayers in that state.
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Researching Your Genealogy
I have mentioned my mother throughout this book because of the fact that she is living proof that “a rolling stone gathers no moss.” One of her current tasks at hand is to research genealogy, and she has really gotten into it. Because of the ease of using Ancestry.com coupled with the program Family Tree Maker, she has been able to streamline the research process needed to create a family tree that dates further back than those created in traditional libraries. Technology has allowed a world of genealogical research to be harnessed into one area. Using this research, she has been able to submit membership requests to organizations that require proof of genealogical identity, such as the Daughters of the American Revolution. Also, being that this information is now captured digitally, this work will not be lost like most family trees developed by previous generations.
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Brain-Strengthening Exercises
The key to longevity is keeping the mind sharp. Once a person’s mental state has deteriorated, his or her bodily functions begin to shut down. Brain-strengthening exercises, which can be found on various websites, assist in keeping the mind youthful. Just as it is important to get daily exercise for your body, your brain also requires constant exercise and activity. Websites such as Lumosity.com assist in exercising the mind. Also, the Nintendo 3DS has a game called Brain Age. In addition, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and trivia games can also be very advantageous to exercising the brain. These are just a few examples of brain-strengthening exercises. You can explore the Internet for other great activities. At first it may seem juvenile to play a game, but researchers have proven that these exercises can effectively improve your chances of longevity and quality of life. Seriously, instead of sitting in front of the TV (which adds zero value to anyone’s life), pick up one of these activities and engage yourself in this adventure in your downtime.
My action plan to incorporate this in my daily life is:
V
Social and Family Events
I used to do hospital ministry, and it never failed when I walked into a terminally ill person’s room. We would start a conversation, and then about ten to fifteen minutes into the conversation, people would start to give me advice based on mistakes they had made in their own life. The number-one mistake was that they didn’t spend enough time with family, and number two was not spending enough time with friends. What I am stating is not a scientific fact; merely an observation. I spoke to a lot of people, and I never had someone tell me that he or she wished to have spent more time at work.
Because of logistics and distance, I did not spend a lot of time with my grandparents. However, my memories are filled with those times when I was able to enjoy their company. Allow me to pass on this advice prior to getting to the point of regret: Spend as much time now with family as possible. There are people who could use your experience and knowledge through the advice you give; go out and see them.
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Joining Clubs and Organizations
There have been many books written and many studies conducted about humans’ need for social interaction. This was the theme of the movie Castaway, where Tom Hanks uses a volleyball in order to attempt to achieve social interaction. To increase your level of social interaction, join a social club, fitness group, book club, professional sorority, or any other social organization. If you do not walk away from this book with anything useful, you might take a look at this idea more closely. I have stated two keys to longevity: physical and mental acuteness. The most important aspect of mental acuteness is that of social interaction. You say, “But I just want to retire and be left alone”? Bull! You may not need it in large doses, but you will need some interaction to survive.
In addition to the interaction aspect, clubs and groups require that you have an agenda to plan for, responsibilities to live up to, and other indiv
iduals to motivate you. Nobody can self-motivate all of the time.
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Associating with People Younger than You
You’ve heard the adage “Birds of a feather flock together”; yep, it’s true, but as a retiree, if you associate with people younger than you, it will drive you to be active as if you were younger. Don’t just take my word for it; ask your doctor or google it. If you spend your time with younger people who maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will also inherit that healthy lifestyle. The youthful energy will also carry over to you. Still don’t believe me? Go hang out with someone ten years older than you and then someone ten years younger than you and see when you are more active.
By the way, I’m not suggesting you should be a stalker and impose upon your younger friends in their private time; I’m suggesting that you should hang out with them when they are out and about. And you should still hang out with your older friends since they are the ones who have the wisdom.
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Nannying Your Grandkids
One of my all-time favorite quotes is “Parents like their kids; they love their grandkids.” Here’s your chance to spoil the ever-living heck out of your grandkids by being a nanny to them. Sacrifice your time to be the one who spoils those kids, and then send them home to Mom and Dad. Here’s where you get to combine adventures: you are associating with people younger than you, and you are definitely going to get your exercise.