Title : Learning a Thing or Two About Myself, In Retirement. . .
link : Learning a Thing or Two About Myself, In Retirement. . .
Learning a Thing or Two About Myself, In Retirement. . .
Some recent random aperçus, or observations -- not quite epiphanies, but bordering on -- about this state of my retirement and my move through what some sociologists are calling Young Old Age (sometimes designated as 60-69, sometimes as 65-74).
1. Sitting on our leather couch one evening recently, admiring the sunset colours firing up the urban skyline, I pushed aside the dismay Pater and I have shared about inevitably losing part of our view as this neighbourhood continues its rapid change from urban-industrial/commercial to a relatively dense residential/commercial mix. Instead, as I told Paul when he came back in with groceries a bit later, I decided to embrace our good fortune in already having had two-and-a-half years of spectacular urban views, with another year, at least, ahead of us. After that, yes, we may have to contend with noisy, in-our-face, dusty, intrusive construction as our view is partially erased. But meanwhile, I'm going to savour the sunsets laid out in front of us. . .It's a work-in-progress, to be honest, this attitude, but I was pleased that it emerged so spontaneously in that moment.
2. Totting up my week's exercise a few days ago, I realized that my fitness mojo might just be back (crossing my fingers and knocking wood that I'm not tempting fate by putting that on the screen!). After last year's seven courses of antibiotics (recurrent UTI), two dental crowns, way too many colds, I'm hoping I've coaxed my immune system to work with me for continued good health and mobility.
I suspect that this shift has something to do with Time and Process. . . in my experience, the anti-trifecta of Grief (my mom and his parents died 2013/14), Retirement, and A Big Move brought recurrent bouts of depression which pummelled my sense of self-worth and identity in ways I didn't expect. And weakened mental and emotional health, unsurprisingly, manifest themselves in compromised physical health. Never compromised enough for so long that I couldn't keep working at a lower level of fitness, but not where I wanted to be.
When I realized my fitness levels might be approaching my (loose) goals and that, overall, I've got more stamina and endurance than I did last year or the year before, my next thought, quite honestly, was to wonder if I'd been premature in retiring. I wondered if I might just have outwaited (scaled back my teaching load; taken a term off) the fatigue and depression that I didn't fully connect, at the time, with bereavement. And I was tickled to answer myself immediately: I would not want to be using this newfound energy for anything other than the mix of creative and educational pursuits and social, family, and fitness activities.
This week, that mix includes:
Visiting with our ex-pat daughter, hosting a brunch so that her aunts and uncles and cousins could say "hello" during her week here (I have to stop myself from writing "her week at home," because of course it's not her home anymore. She'll go back home, to Rome, when she leaves us on Saturday).
Sketching in my journal -- I made a Butternut Squash and Boursin Tarte Soleil from a Globe and Mail recipe (I'd link, but it's behind a paywall) that promised to be fun and easy, using frozen puff pastry. Well, the man who does the grocery shopping brought home frozen phyllo pastry which is a bird of quite a different feather -- and I didn't notice the discrepancy until the morning of the brunch, when the pastry was defrosted. Given the difficulties that posed -- layers of phyllo are not nearly as robust for twisting as the puff pastry would have been, at least not in my hands -- it was surprisingly edible!
Preparing a 10-minute presentation which I'll give at French class. Yes, I'm nervous. But also pleased because our instructor asked us to include the subjunctive mood, and I managed to work in five instances of it.
Reading
Gym workout and morning runs. --
And researching/planning what flights we can manage with our travel points. . . .
What about you? Has life opened your eyes recently to something that might have been there for a while without your noticing? Have you experienced an unexpected shift, a Click if you will, that only Time and "natural processes" could have brought about? Are you still working through adjusting to your age or stage of life and/or thinking forward to the next one?
And if you're not up to the big questions this morning, perhaps a tip or two on working with frozen puff or phyllo pastry -- or a culinary disaster you've managed to avoid -- or one that sunk you?
1. Sitting on our leather couch one evening recently, admiring the sunset colours firing up the urban skyline, I pushed aside the dismay Pater and I have shared about inevitably losing part of our view as this neighbourhood continues its rapid change from urban-industrial/commercial to a relatively dense residential/commercial mix. Instead, as I told Paul when he came back in with groceries a bit later, I decided to embrace our good fortune in already having had two-and-a-half years of spectacular urban views, with another year, at least, ahead of us. After that, yes, we may have to contend with noisy, in-our-face, dusty, intrusive construction as our view is partially erased. But meanwhile, I'm going to savour the sunsets laid out in front of us. . .It's a work-in-progress, to be honest, this attitude, but I was pleased that it emerged so spontaneously in that moment.
2. Totting up my week's exercise a few days ago, I realized that my fitness mojo might just be back (crossing my fingers and knocking wood that I'm not tempting fate by putting that on the screen!). After last year's seven courses of antibiotics (recurrent UTI), two dental crowns, way too many colds, I'm hoping I've coaxed my immune system to work with me for continued good health and mobility.
I suspect that this shift has something to do with Time and Process. . . in my experience, the anti-trifecta of Grief (my mom and his parents died 2013/14), Retirement, and A Big Move brought recurrent bouts of depression which pummelled my sense of self-worth and identity in ways I didn't expect. And weakened mental and emotional health, unsurprisingly, manifest themselves in compromised physical health. Never compromised enough for so long that I couldn't keep working at a lower level of fitness, but not where I wanted to be.
When I realized my fitness levels might be approaching my (loose) goals and that, overall, I've got more stamina and endurance than I did last year or the year before, my next thought, quite honestly, was to wonder if I'd been premature in retiring. I wondered if I might just have outwaited (scaled back my teaching load; taken a term off) the fatigue and depression that I didn't fully connect, at the time, with bereavement. And I was tickled to answer myself immediately: I would not want to be using this newfound energy for anything other than the mix of creative and educational pursuits and social, family, and fitness activities.
This week, that mix includes:
Visiting with our ex-pat daughter, hosting a brunch so that her aunts and uncles and cousins could say "hello" during her week here (I have to stop myself from writing "her week at home," because of course it's not her home anymore. She'll go back home, to Rome, when she leaves us on Saturday).
Preparing a 10-minute presentation which I'll give at French class. Yes, I'm nervous. But also pleased because our instructor asked us to include the subjunctive mood, and I managed to work in five instances of it.
Reading
Gym workout and morning runs. --
And researching/planning what flights we can manage with our travel points. . . .
What about you? Has life opened your eyes recently to something that might have been there for a while without your noticing? Have you experienced an unexpected shift, a Click if you will, that only Time and "natural processes" could have brought about? Are you still working through adjusting to your age or stage of life and/or thinking forward to the next one?
And if you're not up to the big questions this morning, perhaps a tip or two on working with frozen puff or phyllo pastry -- or a culinary disaster you've managed to avoid -- or one that sunk you?
Thus articles Learning a Thing or Two About Myself, In Retirement. . .
that is all articles Learning a Thing or Two About Myself, In Retirement. . . This time, hopefully can provide benefits to you all. Okay, see you in another article post.
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