Embracing Retirement -- Learn to Be Young
Volume 7-Sometimes not acting your age is the answer.
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Welcome back to my popular series regarding getting the most from your retirement. I have been retired just over a year and am fortunate to have adjusted with no problem at all. However, I hear many talk of problems with the transition and resulting unhappiness. My goal is to help those in this situation and get them on course for a happy and enjoyable retirement. After all, you deserve it! In this article I will discuss doing an activity you thought maybe you were too old for. How about a rock concert?
In my first article in this series, I suggested that even though you are retired from your job and free of those responsibilities, it is still important to “take a break” from your retirement routine. Sometimes this may mean going out of your comfort zone and doing something a little on the wild and crazy side.
A few days ago my wife and I attended a rock concert by none other than Alice Cooper. Have we seen him before? Yes. Three or four times. But it seemed different this time. Due to Covid 19, we haven’t been to a concert since July of 2019. Concerts have started back up again, however, it is still risky to attend them due to the pandemic. This one required attendees to be vaccinated, thankfully.
We have attended quite a few concerts together over the years. From Jackson Browne to AC/DC to the Rolling Stones. But as we get older and because of the pandemic, the concert this week seemed a little crazier. I think we are out of practice. Oh, it was fun, but as the saying goes, we’re not getting any younger, and it definitely makes us more tired now. But it reaps more benefit. Good for the soul. Get out and go a little crazy. Try new things. Be safe however.
I found myself looking around at the crowd at this show. Some people younger, some older. A good mix. People just seemed happy to get out and enjoy life. It was refreshing to see the older people out having fun. Good for them. Enjoying that retirement.
I was really moved by several people in wheelchairs. The enjoyment on their faces was precious. For them to be able to get out and have such fun. We can all learn from them. Don’t take anything for granted.
Sometimes you have to push yourself a little. I think you will enjoy being retired a little more this way. This week, two days before the concert, I participated in another unusual event and a first for me, a moonlight hike near my home. I also wrote a story on this great experience:
The most comforting thing is that whatever you’re doing, you don't have to work the next day. There is always time to rest. It is the best feeling in the world, and it is priceless for sure.
So go a little wild….once in awhile. For me it happened twice in the same week.
