Grugger’s Way

As a Joy of Retirement, Detachment from the Job is more than just relief from the daily 8-to-5 grind. It is RELEASE! 

During my final years of employment it seemed that I made an extra effort to get involved in everybody else’s business.  Every political intrigue, zoning flap, and personal feud was my daily fuel.  I had to be informed about everything, it seemed.  Every new building that was being built in town, every alley full of weeds, every stretch of mangled sidewalk, every pot-holed street, every broken street lamp, every downed tree branch, every askew street sign.  Whew!  How exhausting! 

Why did I do that to myself?  And even worse, in retrospect, was how resentful I became of others who remained aloof and stayed in their own little cubicle, totally unconcerned about what was going on all around them. Why didn’t everyone want to learn how that new copy machine worked?  Why didn’t everyone want to know how to change the paper in the plotter printer? 

Why didn’t everyone get into a tizzy when a toilet was leaking or a fluorescent light was blinking? Why didn’t everyone else drive themselves crazy?  Perhaps because I was doing my best to drive myself and everyone else crazy.

I couldn’t see the sky but for the fog I was in all the time.  I am so happy to be out of the fog.  When I retired, I had a little trouble “letting go;” but once I did, and I realized that the City government would function just fine without me, I really opened my eyes to the sky and could see blue!  It’s wonderful, and I apologize to all for making their workdays so miserable with my constant interference.  But mostly, I am just happy for myself.  Life is now joyful.

Keeping Secure refers to personal safety.  There are many dangers and hazards out in the world, and as we age we have to adapt our lifestyles in order to protect ourselves.  I now feel more vulnerable to certain threats than when I was younger.     I always ensure that I have safety equipment and first aid kit available when traveling or camping.  Having the right tools to deal with a breakdown, having jumper cables and a tow line in the car are practices that I have always subscribed to. 

Accidental falls in the home or parking lot can be fatal, and are particularly dangerous for older folks who may be alone. Having a Lifeline Medical Alert bracelet to summon help can be a lifesaver for someone who has a serious medical condition, or who lives alone. Physical fitness is important to maintaining our balance, but it is no guarantee against accidents. Forgetfulness can also be very serious if we are on required medications. It is important to have someone check up on us, at least every day. Continue Reading »

Keeping Useful is an important Retirement Challenge that affects both our emotional and physical health. I believe it is impossible for us to understand the pain of feeling “useless” or “worthless” until we experience it.  But I have seen the effects and can imagine what it must feel like: I heard it spoken by a man I cared about; an elderly man who had lost his spouse and felt he had nothing left to live for.  He often told me how “useless” and “worthless” he was. He slept most of the day in a big rocker-recliner.  When he was awake he turned on his television and then fell asleep again.

After his spouse died, his physical condition deteriorated quickly.  He lost physical mobility, he lost appetite, he lost touch. Most of his conversation concerned his personal health problems.  He had no remaining hopes or ambitions for the future.  The future was a concept that did not extend beyond the end of the current day for him, each and every day, until his end finally came in the middle of the night. He died alone.
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Retirement Challenge THREE - Keeping Fit - refers to physical fitness. Not body building, not even extensive work with weights or extreme aerobic efforts are required. No need to run a marathon or a ten kilometer race. Being able to walk a few miles is good. Flexibility and suppleness are things you don’t even think about and don’t appreciate until it dawns upon you that you are losing them. You know, when you can’t get up off a couch or out of a car without being careful not to hurt your back. When you stoop over for the first fifty feet you walk until you loosen up again. Not only have I BEEN there; I AM there NOW. I am resolved not to allow myself to become a cripple before my time, if EVER! Continue Reading »