I have been retired for 7 years, – I can’t believe it!  This is my annual retirement update blog post.

The first question you may have is, “How are you doing?”  I’m here to say that I’m doing well despite some challenges. My most important advice for anyone who is or is about to retire is to “roll with the punches.”

Many have plans and expectations when we retire. However, you will likely be disappointed if you rigidly hold to those expectations. I have been flexible, and at the seven-year mark, I can honestly say I’m very happy. My happiness requirements may differ from yours, so (as I always say), you do you.

I think that my most significant change has been dealing with my wife’s illness, which has been ongoing for the last two years.  My wife is a trooper and has not let it control her life.  However, it has had us modify plans.

My wife loves traveling and exploring new and exotic places.  However, medical issues have gotten in the way.  I’m more of a country mouse and thrive on being in nature.  When I retired, I turned a van into a camper with my friend Tom.  It is super cool and can operate completely off-grid as it generates electricity and even purifies stream water.  I have taken “Violet the camper van” nationwide and want to travel more. I did go on some longer trips with my son this year and continued mini-adventures with Julie, but I had to delay any extended trips with her.  

Violet the camper van is the childhood clubhouse I never had, and the twelve-year-old boy in me loves her.  I can’t tell you how much joy Violet gives me when traveling.  Now that we are two years into Julie’s illness, we are considering a month-long trip in Violet.  Will that happen?  Who knows.  However, I am sure that we will go on some shorter trips.

Taking a traditional “vacay” also remains a possibility as she heals. We are approaching life one day at a time.

My adult kids returned home during COVID but are leaving the nest again.  One left last August, one will leave this weekend, and the last will go by early summer.  Having them around the house changed what I thought I would do in retirement.  However, it turned out to be a good change.  We all reconnected, did many things together, and wholly enjoyed being a reunited family. Now, I have to deal with that whole empty nest thing again.  I like my kids, so I expect a difficult transition, but I know I’ll survive.  My kids are moving locally, and we are already looking for ways to continue to see each other. One option is scheduled rotating brunches alternating with Sunday dinners for those who can make it. 

Being retired presents its worries. When earning money, I could always work harder if I needed to. Now, I’m dependent on Social Security and my retirement investments. Also, I have been on Medicare for years. The government has been so chaotic lately that I wonder daily what my financial and health insurance future will be. This concerns me, but I realize I have no control over it. I’m trying to adapt, a “One day at a time,” philosophy. 

I am very thankful that I remain healthy. However, in January, I had shoulder surgery, which I’m still recovering from. Each day, I’m a bit better. One’s health can change at the drop of a hat, so I’m trying to live each day to its fullest.

It doesn’t take much to amuse me, and it would be an extremely unusual day where I am bored.  I love exploring my thoughts in this blog and other venues.  I love spending time with my family doing simple tasks like cooking dinner with my kids. I thrive on learning new things, which are often obscure and trivial.  I continue to be an Amazon “influencer” and like reviewing new products for them. Beyond my immediate family, I am incredibly fortunate to have friends and extended family who I love and who love me.

I continue to explore photography and want to expand my commitment to it once the weather clears and my arm improves. I enjoy traveling to other towns to take street photography.  This can be shooting anything from people to interesting architecture.  I have done this by myself in the past.  However, I would like to find a like-minded person with whom to share the experience.  I am considering putting an “ad” in one of our local Facebook groups. I would supply the transportation (Violet) and my accomplice could split the cost of gas.  I’m pretty shy, and I always feel I have to keep people entertained, so it would be a significant growth step if I dared to do the above.  However, now that Julie is feeling better, I certainly think I could (at least) do some day trips myself if necessary.  

So much of my energy last year was focused on Julie and my kids.  It felt good to be there for Julie, and currently, I’m helping my one daughter transition into her new apartment. Because of my partnership with Amazon, I have acquired a lot of stuff to give my kids as they venture out on their own. Beyond those freebies, I have encouraged them to take household items with them.  For instance, my son will likely take our basement rec room furniture when he moves out this summer.  We only use our rec room for storage and exercise, so giving him that furniture is a win for both of us. I like being helpful to others, but I also focus on taking care of myself.

I once again have been on a crusade to lose weight with my BMI being my lifelong nemesis. I lost weight in 2016 and kept it off until COVID hit.  I have now lost most of what I want to again, less 6 pounds that refuse to leave my body.  I am happier when I’m a more normal weight, but I’m also trying to accept who I am. Despite incredible effort, I have never permanently cracked the obesity problem. 

This last year, I did a lot to organize and eliminate 35 years of “living in the same house” clutter. I have a long way to go, and unfortunately, my shoulder’s recovery will prevent me from doing much on that front until late summer or fall. That’s a good excuse not to feel guilty for not doing it!

This year has continued my spiritual journey. I am a Christ follower who tries to follow Christ’s example daily. I think Jesus’s message was overwhelmingly of forgiveness, acceptance, peace, inclusion, and love.  After many years of attending a church, I left when their message changed to exclude groups that didn’t fit their particular interpretation of the Bible.  This saddened me greatly. I’m not sure where to go next or if I should just build my spiritual life as an individual, I’m even thinking of attending a more “universal” church. All of this is a process in motion at the moment. 

I still revel in having control over my schedule. For most of my life, others scheduled my time. I accepted that as being the way it was. However, there is a joy in not constantly feeling that I must be busy producing something worthwhile. Writing today’s blog post is not fiscally productive. However, it gives me pleasure, which is enough justification to do it.

My life at seven years of retirement is extremely rich and fulfilling, and I know why. Long ago, I figured out those general categories that satisfied me. Everyone has broad areas that are fulfilling, but those areas differ from person to person.

These are mine:

I love to learn.

Gaining knowledge on a topic excites me. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if I am learning the latest psychopharmacology for the treatment of psychosis, the history of the Permian-Triassic period, or why one brand of power tools is superior to another. In my professional life, my learning focused on becoming an expert on a particular topic. However, now I can learn as much as I like on a subject and then stop when desired. I can dip my toes into any area from van life cooking to quantum mechanics, and when I have had enough I can stop and move onto something else.  What a wonderful gift!

I love to be creative.

Nothing excites me more than applying an idea or concept from one discipline to a different discipline. I love to push my boundaries and explore the commonality of things that seem dissimilar on the surface. I am a natural problem solver and there are so many problems that I have yet to solve. Creativity can be applied to all aspects of life. It is creative to develop a complex business plan. Still, it is also innovative to determine a better way to clean a toilet or find a delicious way to use leftovers. All give me joy.

I love to teach.

I want others to think and think outside the box. Yes, I want to impart information on others, but I also want them to take that information and form their own ideas. During my professional life, I might help a patient see how their behavior hurt their mental state.  That would be the first step.  However, giving them the tools to empower them to move towards healthy change was equally important. Now, I may help one of my kids explore a life change. Yesterday, I sat with my daughter, pondering health/life insurance options as she starts her first adult job. I was active in the discussion but not the decision maker.  Give a person a fish vs. teach a person to fish.

I love connecting with others.

I have posted many times that I’m an introvert and deliberately limit the number of people I invest in because I try to invest fully in them. Am I a recluse? Nothing could be further from the truth. I need less person-to-person contact than some, but I do need contact. However, I also need my alone time.  

Connecting with those I value is an absolute necessity. I am beyond fortunate that those individuals value me as much as I value them. I love hearing their viewpoints, hanging out with them, learning from them, and even disagreeing with them. People enrich my life, and now that I’m retired, I have the time to stay in contact with those I love regularly.

These essential “wants” may seem elementary to many, but they immensely satisfy me. Since they are non-specific, they are not bound by my status. Recognizing my core needs has allowed me to adjust to my life despite its ups and downs. They are the keys to my happiness.

Let’s see what the next year brings!

Peace

Mike