Grugger’s Way

Boredom in Retirement – No Problem - Yet 

I’ve read so much lately about seniors being bored.  That is sad because the years after retirement have been so often referred to as the Golden Years.   

Physical demise and limitations can bring frustration and boredom; no doubt about it.  The time to prepare for later life is while one is still physically able to.  Actively participating in the activities we most enjoy often does require some fitness level.  If it is already too late to be very active, intellectual pursuits may be the only recourse to defend against boredom.  If a person has no intellectual curiosity, the mind will soon become dull.  A dull mind, coupled with a crippled body, is definitely a formula for boredom. 

So far, I’ve been fortunate in that my physical fitness level does allow me to participate in most activities that I enjoy.  But…there are some limitations already.  The past few months I have noticed that knees are getting swollen; shoulders and elbows hurt for a long time following exertions.  I often wake up with “needles and pins” sensations in both arms and hands.  I can’t do as much as I used to do.  I tire out more quickly.  I have to be careful of overdoing it. 

There is plenty of advice available on the internet and from our physicians.  Diet, Exercise, regular checkups, and monitoring our vitals are all important.  A positive mental attitude and outlook are also important.  We do better when we feel that someone cares whether or not we get up each morning. 

I recommend setting small goals for each aspect of living, physical, mental, spiritual; not just long-term goals, but daily and weekly goals as well.  Practicing good dietary habits and exercising regularly are mantras of our generation.  There is a good reason for this: it works.

Retired - What I DON’T Miss - Not a Bit!

• Early Rising: That darn alarm clock
• Commuting: That long drive in (and then back again)
• Time Clocks: After 35 years of work, having to punch a time clock for the past five years just seemed like an insult.
• Meetings: Once, many years ago, I climbed up onto the conference table and laid there, in a fetal position, during the most tiresome meeting I’d ever had to attend.
• Contributions and Charity Campaigns: I don’t even have to explain this one.
• Downtown Environs: Parking, Panhandlers, Potheads and Prostitutes. (Okay, so there were no streetwalkers during the day, but I love the alliteration.)
• Five days-a-week, 8-to-5 routine: I started to rebel, come in late, leave early, etc.
• Politicians: There were two types, first the elected officeholders, and second, the “players” who always were positioning themselves, physically and otherwise, next to the “face time” people. (I now realize I was one of these “players.” I don’t miss that game at all.)

Hmmm…my “DON’T Miss list is longer than yesterday’s “What I Miss” list.  Nuff said.

Retired and Relaxed. 

Missing the Office and the Daily Grind

The things I miss most about being employed include the daily coffee, doughnuts, gossip-sharing, and feeling like it made a difference whether or not I got up each morning.  I did feel valued for my knowledge and work ethic, if not for my social skills (which were sorely lacking).

I’ve visited the old office a few times since I retired.  Hugs and handshakes all around.  Lots of inquiries about what I’ve been up to lately.  I asked them about their family stuff and about the employees who happen to be out of the office.  I tried to “touch base” with everyone in the office.  I asked about their projects and progress.  I filled them in on my writing efforts (novel, memoirs and blogging), my family events, sickness, deaths, etc.

Then we had nothing more to say to each other.  After I’d been to all the cubicles and offices, after I’d been brought up to date on their happenings, etc., we really ran out of stuff to talk about.  I was feeling a little like the neighbor who stops in to chat without an invitation: after a few minutes there is an uncomfortable silence.  It was time for me to leave.

So I am no longer a part of their work-lives.  I never was a part of their personal lives.  I didn’t socialize with folks I worked with.  Forty hours a week of “shared time” was plenty.  I am now a bit of a recluse; only sharing my life with dogs, cats, spouse, and a few relatives.

I will admit that over a year has passed since I retired from my last full-time job and career.  The time has flown by!  I am a year older too, and feel like I haven’t “accomplished” nearly all that I expected to do during this first year.  The novel remains unedited, although written; the memoirs are a piecemeal hodgepodge of random events, often painful to recall; and the blogging is taking up most of my time and talent, with very little success in building an audience.

What this tells me is that I lack focus and discipline.  That will be my concentration for the next few months: focus and discipline.  I will feel better about myself if I have something to show for all my time at this computer.  Write Write Write!

Words and Phrases that ought to be retired

I can’t help it.  This post is about lazy language.  Are people getting too lazy to think and compose their thoughts into speech without the crutches?  I think it is getting worse too.  I used to think it was just teenagers and athletes who relied upon the crutch words…the fillers that mean nothing but take up time and space while the speaker is trying to come up with a thought of his or her own…but recently I have heard educated speakers, broadcasters, professors and especially local television weather forecasters who constantly rely on this “dribble.”

So…here is my list (AS OF TODAY), of overused, overworked, tired out, trite and meaningless words and phrases that OUGHT TO BE RETIRED!

“Actually”
“Out there”
“At the End of the Day”
“Like”  (should be listed twice)
“I mean” (this could be listed several times, and connected to all the others)
“You know”
“Having Said That”
“That, having been said”
“Whatever…, What-Ever!”  (Yes, there are a couple of different ways to say this.)

Typical athlete’s interview response–first sentence:

“I think, like, you know, at the end of the day-whatever!”

We could blame the schools, the school teachers, television, the entire music industry, the entire celebrity scene, pop-stars, teen actors, pulp magazines, the internet, internet social networking, TEXTING, or just about any other aspect of modern society.  I would hope that folks would become more aware of the way they speak as they get older, but I now hear 40 and 50 and even 60-somethings who start out virtually every sentence with “I mean.”  HOW PATHETIC.  I have no solutions either.  We just have to live with it I guess.