Retirement: A Full-Time Job

Are Any of You Still Out There?

(Photo Details:  What have I been up to?  You're looking at her, my new baby.)

I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without writing a blog post, nearly seven months!  To be honest, I have drafted a few blog posts about retirement that have bored me so much during the editing that I decided against posting them at all.  I also wrote a few political blog posts since the election that I knew I would never post, just to vent a little.  I spared you all on both counts.

Over the last several months, I have received emails from many of you, wondering what’s up-- wondering whether I will ever blog again.  And many of these emails have gone unanswered because a) writing what’s up could well have just been a blog post, and b) I wasn’t really sure whether I would blog again.  This much I’ve learned in retirement:  I have no idea what I’ll be interested in doing in the future.  I only know what I’m interested in right now.  And that has changed many times over the last nine years of my retirement--as I’m sure it will in the future too.

There is one question I am frequently asked in your emails, and it’s the one that has inspired me to check in with you all today.

Are you OK?

That’s just the sweetest question, and I really wanted you all to know I more than ok.  I’m healthy, happy, and still enjoying retirement more and more with each passing year.  In fact, I’d probably be posting more frequently if I were not ok—at least then there’d be some interesting challenge or thought-provoking issue to share.  

Are you going to close your blog?

The other frequent question I get is whether I have quit blogging all together.  I don’t think I will ever want to just ditch the blog entirely.  I like having the possibility of returning to it if I am inspired to write.  Because who knows?  But right now I am pretty consumed with making music.

As you know I started taking jazz piano lessons a few years ago.  Then last fall I enrolled in a jazz piano class at the local city college that met three times a week.  It was so great I took it again in the spring.   And I took private voice lessons on top of that.

Last month, I spent an intense week at jazz camp, followed by a summer school course in jazz improvisation.  And now I’m taking a jazz singing class with a friend.  I’ve been working on the goal of accompanying myself on the piano while singing.  It is so hard but SOOOO much fun.  I’m even making significant progress on the stage-fright thing!  As our friend Tom recently commented after hearing how well Doug plays the guitar now, “You really CAN teach an old dog new tricks!”

That’s the most amazing thing to me.  Oh, and that whole practice-makes-perfect thing.  (Well I will quibble with “perfect” part, but it certainly guarantees improvement!)

Have you been off traveling a lot?

We have a big biking trip planned later this summer to Italy, which I am looking forward to.  We also went to New York earlier this year, and have done a bunch of short trips, Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Scottsdale--and San Diego is coming up soon.  So now that I write that all down, I guess we have been traveling a lot over my seven-month blogcation!

Maybe that’s why I’m so sick of traveling right now.  While I always enjoy myself on our trips, I hate the hassle of flying (many of you can relate), and I miss both my kitty cat and my piano when I’m gone.  I’m threatening no trips in 2018.  I’d like to make 2018 the year of the staycation.  Avoid the hassles and also recoup the chunk of change I spent on a new piano a couple of weeks ago (pictured above—that is actually two years’ worth of vacation budget.  Maybe should stay put through 2019 too . . .)

What do you think about this last election?

I did answer that email privately.  You all know what I think—and many of you don’t want me to write what I think--I know.  I will admit, the effect this election has had on the stock market has been amazing to my retirement spreadsheet.  The increase has added five years of living expenses to my nest egg.  A huge consolation prize.  And I’ve been steadily rebalancing to keep my 60/40 stock to bond allocation in check.  Meaning that I have taken much of that gain off the table as the market has risen.  (This might be a good idea for a near-term blog post if my inspiration keeps up:  What my advice would be to those considering retiring right now, into a stock market at record highs.  I have plenty to say about that from personal experience!)

I miss you!

Well that’s of course my favorite email.  So thank you for those.  I miss you too, which of course is my fault.  If I actually posted more often, I wouldn’t have to miss you!

And finally, I apologize to those of you whose emails I have not returned over the last seven months.  I will try to catch up.  Also to those journalists’ requests for interviews that have gone unanswered.  My heart just wasn’t in it.  (Although, coming up for air last week, I did do an interview which I will post a link to when it becomes available.)

Thanks to those of you who are still out there!

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Related Posts:

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The Trinity of Retirement

 (Photo details:  Doug serving my birthday martini last week in what I call the Christmas Room (the living room)--an admittedly underused room of my house.)

Thanks again to JP for contributing this post last week.  I love the conversation it spurred in the comments section.  There is so much I wanted to comment on myself I think I’ll tackle a couple points here in a blog post. 

A few of you shared my admiration of JP’s attaining retirement at such a young age.  In my view that is what is most amazing.  One commenter expressed some skepticism about whether JP is really retired or just between jobs, and also about the $2 million she had amassed by the age of 28.  Another had issues with JP’s choice to live in only 325 square feet, and wondered whether she would be able to keep that up into her 40’s and beyond.  And with others, the conversation revolved around whether they would even want to retire in a big city in the first place.

On the first two issues, I know at least two people from the high-tech world who achieved that kind of money by the time they were 28, neither of whom is retired yet.  Because neither of them would have accepted the lifestyle choices that would have been necessary to live on that for the rest of their lives.  Or maybe they just love work, or maybe some combination of both.  As to whether JP is actually “between jobs” rather than retired--with five or six decades of life in front of her, who knows, maybe JP would do some work for money again in the future.  I did for a couple years at one point during my eight years of retirement.  That doesn’t mean I wasn’t retired before I did that, or that I’m not retired now. 

On the issue of living in 325 square feet—again, who knows whether she will always live in 325 square feet in the future.  That’s the metric that works for her right now, but like I said five or six decades is a long time.  She points out that in real estate a “trinity” of factors is in play:  price, location, and size, and “you can have any two . .  but not all three.”  Maybe at some point JP will swap size for location if she feels a need for more space and less city.  These are the tradeoffs most people have to juggle in life, JP is no different. 

In fact, the exact same thing can be said about retirement, except the trinity of factors for retirement is work, assets, and lifestyle. 

I myself am a city girl, yet I live in the suburbs.  Oh yeah, and in 4,000 square feet.  Had I decided to retire to a studio apartment in San Francisco, I probably could have retired at least ten years earlier.  But, at least right now, I enjoy the space.  Will I want all this space when I’m 70 or 80, probably not.  So I’ll move!  Could I have afforded a 4,000 square foot house in San Francisco instead of the suburbs?  Sure, but I would have had to work probably 20 more years to achieve that. 

Work, assets, and lifestyle.

If you want to retire young, actually at any age really, you fiddle with the give-and-take between this trinity of factors.

You want to stop work but don’t have enough assets to continue your current lifestyle?  Well then you’re going to have to adjust your lifestyle to fit your current assets.  The lifestyle you have now is non-negotiable?  Then you’re going to have to work until you amass the assets to support that lifestyle.  Or maybe you cut back on work and cut back on lifestyle in some way to make the numbers work without having to choose one or the other.

Maybe you live in the city of your desires in 325 square feet, or an hour away in 4,000.  You just have to jiggle the pieces of the puzzle together until it makes the picture you want for your own life.

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Calling All Retirees

 (Photo details:  Relaxing in the back garden with a glass of wine is certainly one of the benefits of retirement, but you'll need more than that for a happy retirement.)

(Caution: This is a post about retirement.  If you came here for politics I’m sorry to disappoint you.)

 

Yesterday Walter left a comment on my post:

Unfortunately, I am one of those who retired from something, not to something. I was a high level state government administrator and my work was my identity and passion. I retired almost three years ago. Not being a hobby or volunteer guy, I ended up taking a new job after one year. I am now a minion and work 40 hours per week hating my job. But if I quit, I know what the year without working was like. I am lost, unhappy, and looking for suggestions. I just don’t want the cookie cutter ideas of get a hobby, learn to play an instrument, learn a new language, volunteer. My finances are good, my health, except for my frame of mind, is good, but I regret the day I retired and there is no do over and I hate my current job–not challenging, engaging, etc. Is there a retirement to enjoy just relaxing? Suggestions please!!!

In my post yesterday, I wrote that I didn’t think I was alone in feeling the way I do.  I don’t think Walter is alone in feeling the way he feels either.  So I thought I’d put the question out to you.  Fellow retirees who maybe struggled with the same feelings as Walter and came out the other side.

He’s hit on a truth, that we need to feel challenged, engaged, and I also think valued.  I have gotten those things over the eight years of my retirement from blogging, my stint at a part-time job, volunteer work, time spent with friends and family, community college classes, traveling, and now piano.  But Walter needs some more ideas.  Walter needs a project that engages his intellect and passion.  I think I can safely say that a retirement spent just relaxing is not going to cut it.

You, my dear readers, have amazed me with your contributions on issues large and small over the years.  I have a feeling some of you might be able to help Walter like you’ve helped me over the years.  Any ideas?

Related Posts:   

    Why Retirement Won't Make You Happy

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Postcard from Retirement

(Photo Details:  The relaxing part of our bike trip in Indonesia on the island of Lombok-May 2016)

It’s always hard to write a post after such a long absence.   Even when I’m not blogging, I think about blogging all the time.  Both for the writing part and for the interaction part--I always miss the interaction part the most.

But there are only so many hours in a day, even when you are retired!  So I just thought I’d send you a little postcard from retirement to tell you that I miss you, and let you know what I’ve been up to.  You already know that I haven’t been blogging (other than just thinking about blogging, which I guess doesn’t really count.)

Piano

As many of you know, learning to play jazz piano was something I had always pictured doing when I retired.  I didn’t get around to starting until five years into my retirement.  Better late than never, right?  But I’m deep into it now.  Besides taking weekly private lessons, I am now taking a jazz piano class at the community college.  We meet three days a week for an hour.  With practice and an hour commute each way to school, I’m as busy with this as I was when I had a part-time job a few years ago!

On the first day of class last week, our teacher told us about four different levels of learning piano.  Actually, this is probably true with any new skill: 

-First you don’t know how much you don’t know.  That’s the Unconscious Incompetence stage.

-Next you start to learn and you realize how much you don’t know.  That’s the Conscious Incompetence stage.

-I’m beginning to gain competence (finally after three years of lessons!)  So I’m in the Conscious Competence stage.  It takes a lot of concentration and practice for me to play right now.  It doesn’t really come naturally or easily, it’s still very hard work to play what I want to be playing.

-The final stage, she told us, is the Unconscious Competence stage.  Where you can access all your knowledge basically unconsciously--with ease.

Of course one student asked how long until we get to that stage, and our professor said 10,000 hours.  We all know about that 10,000 hours thing, right?

So I calculated that if I could practice 20 hours per week, I could get there in 10 years.  Even though I’m retired, I don’t think I can manage that, 10 hours a week is probably even ambitious.   At that rate, if I stick with it, I’ll be really great by the time I’m 72 years old.  Probably too old to start touring, but maybe some time during the next 20 years I’ll at least get to the point where I can play for people without shaking.  Currently there are only four people I can play for without shaking—the teacher I’ve had for the last three years, my husband, and my parents.  And I have to play in front of the entire piano class for the mid-term and final.  So it would be nice to at least make a little progress on that stage-fright thing.

Family Tree

A few months ago, after my Uncle Jim died, I spent a weekend reading through a bunch of personal letters and work memos that Jim had saved over the years.  The best stash was a box of letters he had written to his best friend over 40 years.  His friend’s daughter returned the letters to my uncle after her own father died.  I learned so much, in my uncle’s own words, about his life.   I only wish he were still here so I could ask him some questions!

After I did that, I decided to attack another box of memorabilia that my dad had given me awhile back.  This box was filled with letters, photos, and other items my mother had saved.  (For those of you who are new to my blog, my mother died when I was 16.) 

In this box I found some paperwork about her own adoption.  She was adopted as a baby, and when I was a teenager, she had thought about trying to find her birth mother.   Something that wasn’t as easy back then.   Ultimately, my mom was too afraid to contact her mother.  She wasn’t sure what kind of response she would get, and she didn’t think she could face it if it wasn’t a happy reunion. 

But with the internet, I found my biological grandmother in about 10 minutes.  Unfortunately, she died a couple of years before my mom did.  So I contacted her daughter--my mother’s half-sister.  In spite of the pretty great shock, my newfound aunt and cousins have been very welcoming and are interested in getting to know each other better.  This is the beginning of an exciting chapter for me!

Politics

And finally, I wouldn’t be totally honest if I didn’t tell you I waste an incredible amount of time each day following the presidential election.  Yes, time I could be blogging, or working on that 10,000 hours of piano practice.  Time that would be much more well spent in any number of ways.  But I can’t help myself.  It is the most interesting race I’ve ever watched.  I’ll leave it at that.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me so many nice emails lately!

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Can I Still Retire if I Hate Golf?

(Photo Details:  Hawaii--Doug without his clubs)

I receive a lot of requests from people wanting me to write a guest post on their blog.  I know I will never get around to that, I barely get around to posting on my own blog!  So I have learned from experience to just say no to that.  

I also receive many requests to publish guest posts on my blog.  Usually from investment companies or insurance companies, or someone else trying to sell something to my readers.  I also say no to that.  But I will usually publish a guest-written post to introduce a new retirement blogger.

The following is a guest post by Jared Scharen.  Jared is an MBA student at Northwestern who has started a website dedicated to helping boomers figure out where they want to retire.  His website eRetirements has a fun quiz to help you pick a place to retire, and also a retirement blog.  It's fun, but truth be told, that's not why I agreed to a guest post.  When he introduced himself to me he said that his parents read my blog.  And that made me happy.

So here is Jared's post: Healthy Hobbies for Retirement:  Active Alternatives to Hitting the Links.

It comes as no surprise that many people associate the word “retirement” with “golf.” Early tee times with friends followed by a midday lunch at the clubhouse seems to be a common stereotype of how retirees spend much of their free time.  This is a common fallacy that forces many people to unwillingly pick up the game and end up finding absolutely no pleasure in it. So what should you do if golf isn’t your thing?

Despite the common perception of golf as being the main hobby for retirees across the country, there are tons of other activities that offer a unique combination of exercise, shared connection, and most importantly, satisfaction. They can also shape your decision on where to retire. A few of them include:

Softball: Softball is great way to be outdoors while staying active and competitive. It is also a sure way to engage in social bonding, especially if you miss the comradery of your office team. 

Swimming: Swimming offers multiple benefits for your body including improved flexibility, built up endurance, and stronger heart muscle. It also provides the social benefit of meeting others during exercise classes or general lap swims.

Hiking or Walking: According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a steady routine of walking can greatly reduce the chances of disability at old age. Walking or hiking also helps prevent or manage certain conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure, and can be done with your friends or significant other in remote areas of nature. 

Yoga: One of the many benefits of yoga is that it can help protect you from injury by increasing your muscle strength and tone. It also enhances your respiratory and energy levels in addition to being a huge stress reliever.

All of these exercises can improve your quality of life by enhancing your strength and improving your overall mood, both of which can be attributed to a longer, healthier life. Exercise classes offered at various community centers provide manageable training with specialized teachers who understand the limitations of your body. It is therefore crucial to explore these avenues when selecting your eventual retirement location.

So you have already heard this advice from your doctor…over and over again. And quite frankly, you just don’t care. Well, you are not alone in that mindset. According to a report conducted by the Merck Manual, at least 75% of people over the age of 65 do not exercise at recommended levels despite the known health benefits of exercise. Whether it is an issue of ignorance or more practically a problem of physical limitation, there are still ways to maintain your welfare outside of simply moving your arms and legs.

One of the beauties of retirement is that it allows you to finally undertake those projects that previously seemed impossible due to prior commitments to “the job.” It gives you an opportunity to pursue something exciting and fresh. So maybe that means a trip to Europe? Or a quick excursion across the country to see relatives? Or possibly the start of your memoir? You certainly do not have to pick up a golf ball or put on a bathing suit to stay active. Instead, try considering personal projects like the following:

Home Projects: Build a garden in your new home or decorate your backyard porch so you can invite friends over for dinner or drinks. Often, retirees have commented on how much gratification they receive from projects around the house.

We talked with Kathleen from Chicago, IL who could not agree more, “I’d really like to challenge myself during retirement by finally taking an advanced class in horticulture or possibly joining a local gardening club. This would keep me active while not forcing me to travel too much either. And it would impress all my new guests!”

Volunteering: Volunteering is another excellent activity that can bring you satisfaction while benefiting those within the community. This could involve tutoring children in academics or arts and crafts, or assisting patients in hospital outreach programs, just to name a few.

Theater and Arts: Reengage your artistic side and audition for a play or musical at the local arts center. This would allow you to make new friends while displaying your talents in front of a local audience. And anyone who has experience in theater knows that on stage performances are a workout in their own.

Regardless of the hobby that you choose, it is essential to always be cautious with your body as you decide on what new activities to begin, or what sports and games to continue to engage in.  It is important to do something that does not overly strain your body or your mind.  Instead, find something that is safe, manageable, and allows you fully enjoy the free time that you’ve worked so hard to attain. 

eRetirements.com is devoted to solving the problem that millions of baby boomers face each year: Where should I retire?  Our users enjoy a personalized retirement quiz, comprehensive location info, and a variety of blogs and advice to assist in discovering, and enjoying their ideal retirement location.

 

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How Did I Ever Have Time for Work?

(Photo Details:  Staged patio of the vacation home I no longer own--as of yesterday.)

You’ll hear this question from retired people all the time, “How did I ever have time for work?”  And I know what working people think about this.  But I don’t think it has to do with the time.  I think it has to do with the re-wiring or our retired brains.

I can’t multitask anymore.

I used to work 40+hours a week, fit in time for exercise, AND manage to accomplish other bigger things that were going on in my life.  All at the same time as holding down a job.

Last month I gave my piano teacher a check for the month’s lessons--one week late for starters.  I forgot to bring the check in at the beginning of April.  Then on top of that, I received an email from my teacher that I had not written his name anywhere on the check.  Instead of his name on the payee line I wrote out the amount again.

That’s because the part of my brain devoted to simple tasks has been taken over by the part of my brain that is involved in selling our vacation home.  Because my brain can’t operate with the same lobes as it used to, now it needs all the lobes to manage a complex task like that.  And I don’t even know if I mean lobes.  I have bought and sold a few houses over the years of my working life and I still managed to keep up with the complex finances of a venture capital firm.  But I can’t manage the simple finance task of writing a check right now.

It seems to be the same thing when it comes to fun hobbies.  When I’m really into piano, I don’t make time for blogging.  And same thing in reverse with blogging.  And both of those are displaced by planning for trip when I have one of those on the horizon, which I do.

I can’t even multitask fun anymore!

Since my last post ions ago I have been focused on one or the other of the following things:  planning for an upcoming trip to Singapore, Bali, and Tokyo, practicing the piano, or doing the myriad of tasks (including worrying) involved with the the selling of a house.  Only one at a time, of course, as we have just established that I can no longer do two things at once. 

So now you’re wondering how I have managed to sit down right now and write a blog post, aren’t you? The trip is planned and the house is sold!  So why am I not playing my piano?  Because I have had the flu all week and that would simply require more energy than I have right now.

Today I was supposed to be at a class called “Developing a Sustainable and Rewarding Writing Process.”  But I was too sick to leave the house.  And the truth is, I know the answer already--which is a good thing because it’s too late to get my money back:  Get your butt in the chair and write.  And it turns out that is really easy to do if you’re just getting over the flu.

Just the same, next year I’m getting the flu shot.

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Never Resist a Generous Act

(Photo Details:  Uncle Jim at his 80th birthday party, July 2015)

Wow, what a year.  And not in a good way. 

It’s hard for me to not write what is going on in my life, and I haven’t really felt like I could write what’s been going on in my life this year.  So I just haven’t written much.  As many of you have noticed.

But my Uncle Jim died just before Thanksgiving, and now I feel like I can write about it.  He was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer in early 2014.  The doctor told him he had about a year to live.  Earlier this year—at about the one-year mark--he told his oncologist that he was throwing himself an 80^th birthday party in July.  She said, “You should probably have the party before July.”

Well he showed her.  Sort of.  Sixty or so guests came from all over the country—and even from Japan, where he concluded his 40-year career with the Associated Press as the Tokyo bureau chief--to help him celebrate.  Three days before the festivities he had a heart attack and was only released from the hospital three hours before the party.  It was a huge success though.  My dad emceed the festivities with just the right amount of humor and ribbing of his big brother.  Friends toasted Jim with warm words of appreciation for his friendship. 

There was more of the same at his memorial in December, but how much nicer it was in July when Jim got a chance to hear how much people loved him.

Earlier this year, as I did write a little bit about, one of my best friends since the fourth grade suffered the most devastating loss I can think of, her daughter’s suicide. 

So like I said, not such a great year here at Casa Retired Syd.

And yet I’m grateful.  For a couple of things.

First for being retired.  I had time.  Time to be there for my friend and my uncle in the way that I wanted to be.  Not on weekends, or between quarter-ends, or squeezed in around tax season.  I could be there tomorrow, or in an hour for that matter.  I didn’t have to ask a boss, or shuffle meetings, or let work slide. 

My uncle used to say, “Never resist a generous act.”  My family was just talking about this at Christmas.  I thought he meant that if you have the opportunity to help someone, never waste that opportunity.  But another family member thought it meant, if someone is generous toward you, you should openly accept that generosity.  And I think we’re both right.

Because this year, the best part of it was when my friend and my uncle accepted my offers of help.  I needed to do something, and it helped me to feel like I was helping, even if I really wasn’t.

The night that CeCe died, I told my friend Judy I wanted to come up next day.  She said, “Be here at 10.”  We muddled through the next few days, the blind leading the blind.  We were all helpless really.  But we clung to one another, and that was the most generous thing Judy could do for me, let me cling to her.  That was a generous act, making me feel like I was helping.

When my uncle asked me to join him at doctor’s appointments, or to help him plan his 80^th birthday party, those were generous acts, allowing me to be there for him in some way.

This year I learned that it’s not just generous to give, but generous to let people give to you.  That is also a gift, and the other thing I'm grateful for this year.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and love-filled new year!

 

 

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Maybe Men Aren't Boring After All

(Photo Details:  The View from Round Pond Winery, Napa Valley)

As I mentioned last week, I’m planning on writing a series of posts comparing the early days of retirement to retirement now, eight years later.  You know—now that I’m a professional retiree.

First I thought I’d start with the issues that concerned me before I actually left the workforce. 

Then

My very first blog post was in October 2007.  I had already informed my employer several months earlier that I would be retiring.  I had agreed to stay in my post until my replacement was hired.  (If I had it to do over again, I would have put a specific end date to the task!)  I think by October we had identified my replacement, but he wouldn’t be starting for a several more months.  So by then my patience to just get to the finish line already was wearing thin.

My first post was Hate Your Job?  Join the Club!  My neighbor teased that hating my job put me in a very select group of people called EVERYONE.  Which made me wonder then, why “does almost EVERYONE, when I tell them that I'm retiring, ask me ‘but what will you DOOOOOO?’ “

After several months of fielding this question, I realized that it was mostly men who were perplexed.  The majority of women in my circle had no problem picturing what they would do with their time if they had a whole lot more of it to spend on anything they wanted.

So in a gross overgeneralization I concluded that men are boring. 

Well even back then, I had several male readers chime in, “I’m not bored, I love retirement!”   And at least one woman countered that she did find retirement boring.   Then of course over time I “met” several happily retired male bloggers.  (I’m looking at you Bob, Tom and Dave). 

Now

A couple of weeks ago I attended a cocktail-party--a reunion of tax accountants from my first job out of college.  Either none of my former coworkers are retired or none of the retired ones showed up.  In any case, I was the only one I knew there that was retired.

One former colleague admitted that he didn’t know what he would do if he was retired.  I apologized for making what was going to be a sexist remark, and then told him I think this is more of a problem for men.  He surprised me by agreeing with me.  He said that his whole identity is wrapped up in his work.   It wasn’t a question of being bored (or being boring as I had put it years ago), it was a question of finding a new identity.

And I admit, that is a tricky one for men and women alike.  It’s why cocktail parties are so hard when you first retire.  You feel self-conscious that the things you are occupying your time with in retirement aren’t interesting enough to others.  You feel like your old work identity was more interesting.  You feel like others are judging you now.

Boredom is easy to combat in retirement—it’s not hard to find stuff to do.  But finding stuff to do that makes you feel good about yourself--that takes more time.  Once you discover the things that are meaningful to you, the things that you are passionate about, the things that make the time just fly by--that’s when you’ve found your new identity.

And here’s how to know when you have found it.  When you’re at a cocktail party babbling about blogging and describing the joys and challenges of learning to play jazz piano, and you don’t even care that your former colleagues’ eyes are glazing over.

Related Posts:

For another blogger’s take on the retirement identity crisis, here is Ted Carr’s post:  My Identity Crisis.  (Check out his blog and podcasts at Retirement Journeys)

Yes There is a Difference Between Men and Women

I Work, Therefore I Am

Cocktail Party Chatter

 

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Where Am I going to Find Ten Thousand Hours?

(Photo Details:  Cupcakes at my Uncle Jim's 80th birthday.  Hopefully I'll be playing jazz piano at mine.)

Ok, I really am going to kick off the new series of then-and-now posts next, but I just had to share a current-day challenge of retirement while I’m experiencing it. 

Last night, we went to a jazz concert at the wonderful new SF Jazz Center.  We saw Hiromi.  She is the most amazing jazz pianist.  This is the fourth time I’ve seen her and I will never tire of seeing her live.   I can’t think of any other word but amazing.  How can I describe it?  The whole concert I felt like I was going to explode.   Because that’s exactly what she’s doing—exploding.  I watched her hands dance across the keyboard, actually her whole body dances—she can’t even stay in her seat.  There’s just too much energy coming out!

Before the concert, we attended a reception showcasing SF Jazz’s education programs for kids in public schools.  The woman that runs the education program teaches jazz piano so I barraged her with questions about how they teach kids to improvise.  She knew what I was really asking--it wasn’t really about the kids.  It was about me.  How will I ever get good?  And of course she gave me the answer that I already knew:  10,000 hours.  Practice.

So while I was watching Hiromi, I was doing a little math.  If I practice one hour a day every single day, that’s 365 hours in a year.  At that rate it would take me 27 years to get really great.  Which is kind of what I was thinking when I took up piano in the first place.   My dad took up trumpet a few years ago, which is what inspired me to get started now.  My theory was that by the time I’m his age, I’ll be awesome.  He’s 78, so that is precisely how the math would work out for me. 

But while I was watching Hiromi, I kept thinking, I don’t want it to take 27 years!  So then I started recalculating—how could I do it in 10 years?  Ten thousand hours divided by 10 years—that’s almost three hours a day of practice.  Sounds fine in theory, right?  I am retired after all. 

But then add in time for sleeping, eating, exercising, seeing friends, cleaning the house, gardening, volunteering—oh yeah, and writing blog posts, never mind a book—and you see my conundrum.  Well I'm not sure those of you that are not yet retired see it.  But back me up here retirees--do you actually have three hours a day to spare?

Related Posts:

            Using Retirement to Get Really Good at Something

            Improvising Retirement

            Believing in the Dream

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Retirement Then and Now

 (Photo Details:  Above-Sydney with work friends at her retirement party in 2008.  Below-Sydney with Dad and Doug eight years into retirement.) 

 

I’ve been retired for nearly eight years now.  Over that time I’ve worried about money, and then stopped worrying about money.  I’ve gone from wanting to travel all the time, to wanting to stick closer to home.  I’ve gone from having no pets, to being adopted by a sweet kitty.   I’ve taken up, and then given up a part-time job, hot yoga, and knitting.  My interests have evolved over these years.  And so have my concerns about retirement.

In fact I don’t really have many concerns with retirement these days.  Early in my retirement I had concerns that many new or soon-to-be retirees share.  Do I have enough money?  How do I fill my time?  What will make me still feel relevant, important, and productive?  How do I talk about my retirement with friends and new acquaintances?  Should I be volunteering?  And how do I deal with guilt about not working anymore?

I can’t say when it happened that I don’t really think about these things anymore. But now I’m perfectly happy gardening, cleaning my house, writing, playing the piano, napping, volunteering, visiting with friends and family, and even doing nothing in particular.  Which is probably why the frequency of my postings here on the blog has dwindled. 

But I still receive wonderful emails from people contemplating or beginning their retirements asking those same questions I asked myself all those years.  And many of those folks tell me they’ve gone back to read all those old posts, to get an idea about the transition into their own retirements.  Or just to know that what they are experiencing is absolutely normal, even as they may be totally excited to be retired.

So I thought I’d take the next few weeks, or months, or whatever to go back through my old posts and do a series of then-and-now posts.  I’ll take up some of those old issues—how retirement felt for me back then--and update them for what that’s like now, nearly eight years later.

I’ll include excerpts from those old posts and even some of the comments—good and bad.  We’ll see how true some of my commenters’ predictions turned out.  Hopefully this will be fun for readers both old and new.  I know it will be fun for me!

 

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