Pre-Boomer Musings

The one thing that worried me most as I drew close to retirement was what to do with all the time soon to be on my hands?  Being bored to death was not a pleasant prospect.  I hoped to find ways to fill each day but believed the hours would go slowly as the days and months sped by.  It’s been almost 7 years since officially hanging up my spikes, yet I can’t recall ever being so deeply involved, as busy or more fulfilled at anytime in my life.

Image by Atelier Teee via Flickr

Arriving at this level of satisfaction – no, make it enjoyment because it’s not my nature to be satisfied – did not come quickly or easily.  After more than 45 years in the pressure cooker known as the ad agency business, a period of decompression was needed.  This took several months.  I tried things like going to bed late and not setting the alarm in the morning.  Leaving my watch in the drawer was another technique I experimented with.  And putting away my desk calendar was another (I was not using the outlook calendar on my computer, because I didn’t know how).

I eventually fell into a routine.  When sleepy, I went to bed; and my natural body clock knew what time to get up.  That worked.  The watch thing did not last long, because people obviously grew tired of me always asking, “What time is it?”  Keeping a schedule by stuffing my pockets with little pieces of paper to remind me of appointments and commitments was haphazard at best.  So I went back to having the calendar on the desk in my study and learned to use outlook as a way to remind me of important times and dates (like birthdays).  This functions very well, indeed.

Then I decided to write the Great American Novel.  It wasn’t so great, but it was American and as fiction qualified as a novel (hey, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad).  This was a year-long effort and took up most of what I considered a normal work day.  The experience was enjoyable enough to get me to write another book the following year.  They have yet to be published, but I have high hopes.  Somewhere along the way I found a social life and was offered a few consulting assignments and several speaking engagements.  Finally my life was balancing out as I settled into a comfortable rhythm.  This continues to be the case, provided I allow life to be organic and live it as it unfolds.

While conducting research about the boomers and the generations preceding them, it struck me that no one was talking to or for the pre-boomers.  This led me to start my first blogging effort last year at age 72.  And the response was so encouraging that I, along with several communications experts, launched an online magazine for New Seniors in January.  This is exciting and one heck of a lot of work.  Getting NewSeniors.com off the ground has been a day, night and weekend effort, but I believe it is something that is long overdo and will serve the needs of the growing 65+ community for years to come.

So there you have it. I have moved from fear of the unknown to immersing myself in the things I am passionate about to having the confidence and the will to do whatever it takes to fulfill my current dreams.  That’s the American way, even in retirement.  Are you living your dreams?      

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