Retirement - Looks Pretty Good to Me
I'm thinking about retirement.
Let me start this conversation by saying that my mother and father recently retired, and their new lives are looking really good to me right now. (This is a side effect of visiting - I actually get to witness what is happening rather than just hearing about it.) My sister has decided that We (notice the use of the Royal We) will be retiring in 9 years when she is eligible to take her pensions and run from her elementary school job. In addition, I will be retiring then as well, and We will travel (again, that Royal We!).
I'm telling you. This idea is not hard to contemplate at all.
My father's twin, my Aunt, is having to retire this year. She tried retiring last year, but ended up driving herself crazy with inactivity and went back to teaching high school math this year, but it is past time for her to retire and do other things. In direct contrast to my parents (who are finding retirement really enjoyable), she is dreading this transition of life.
Watching these two separate transitions from my point of view, quite removed from all of the reality that goes along with it, I can say that I hope my transition into retirement (in 9 years, if my sister has anything to say about it) is more like my parents' than my aunt's!
My mother has taken to retirement very well. She has not needed her anti-anxiety medication since she has stopped having to be in IEP meetings. Her hair is growing out - the first time in 47 years that I have seen my mother's hair longer than her ears! She combined two crafting groups together at my father's church because Mom wanted to do both the quilting group and the crocheting group and didn't want to have to choose. She is constantly crafting and coming up with projects. She has a garden that thrives despite the watering restrictions that are present right now. The only thing that seems to be not so good is that she has a chronic cough that seems unrelated to everything.
My father is not as graceful, but he seems to like the new reality as well. My dad has been a worker from home for the past 10-15 years. He would wake my mother up to get her started with her routine, and then he would work from his office. He still works from his office, but he is now dabbling in the world of political blogging (imagine my JOY at this!), and doesn't really have a schedule anymore. He has less hobbies than my mother does, so filling his time is a bit difficult. He basically goes from his office to his chair and occasionally out to breakfast. His morning routine has changed and he now takes his showers whenever he wants to! This is HUGE for him (and for me as I try to figure it all out!).
My aunt, on the other hand, is struggling to fill her upcoming retirement hours. She's not convinced that my mother is enjoying her time away from work. She cannot believe that my sister is more than ready to retire now, even though there are 9 more years on my sister's trek towards that state. She just cannot envision a world where she doesn't go to work, even though she hasn't seemed to enjoy that work over the years. It was just what she did.
My father has decided that my aunt and my mother will join my sister and myself on our retirement odysseys in 9 years. I laugh because, in all this discussion, no one has actually asked what I want to do when I retire. Not one question, yet my retirement is now planned out.
When I think of retirement, I think of the type of retirement that some of my music therapy idols are starting to experience. I love the idea of traveling places to share what I love and know about music therapy. I would love the opportunity to write books and lead training and meet others who are interested in the use of music as a therapeutic medium. I would love to be able to travel to exotic places (like, um, Cleveland) to work with music therapists in a variety of areas. I don't believe, however, that my role as a music therapist would stop just because I stopped working full-time. My sister, on the other hand, is ready to leave the world of education behind in order to embrace the new reality (in NINE years!). I am not ready to stop being a part of music therapy sessions and interacting with music therapy clients. I'm just not ready.
Will I be ready? We'll see, but I know that I am closer to how my aunt is feeling than how my sister is feeling right now.
Since that is my current outlook, I should probably do something about that, don't you think?
It is time to figure out what I am going to do once I can no longer do what I do now. It's time to take some action towards these goals and figure out how I can do this, work one full-time job and three part-time jobs, and still have time for me. It's time to envision a future where work is not the driving force behind getting up in the morning. It's time to plan for that future - and make sure that my future is what I want rather than what others are planning for me.
Happy Boxing Day!
Let me start this conversation by saying that my mother and father recently retired, and their new lives are looking really good to me right now. (This is a side effect of visiting - I actually get to witness what is happening rather than just hearing about it.) My sister has decided that We (notice the use of the Royal We) will be retiring in 9 years when she is eligible to take her pensions and run from her elementary school job. In addition, I will be retiring then as well, and We will travel (again, that Royal We!).
I'm telling you. This idea is not hard to contemplate at all.
My father's twin, my Aunt, is having to retire this year. She tried retiring last year, but ended up driving herself crazy with inactivity and went back to teaching high school math this year, but it is past time for her to retire and do other things. In direct contrast to my parents (who are finding retirement really enjoyable), she is dreading this transition of life.
Watching these two separate transitions from my point of view, quite removed from all of the reality that goes along with it, I can say that I hope my transition into retirement (in 9 years, if my sister has anything to say about it) is more like my parents' than my aunt's!
My mother has taken to retirement very well. She has not needed her anti-anxiety medication since she has stopped having to be in IEP meetings. Her hair is growing out - the first time in 47 years that I have seen my mother's hair longer than her ears! She combined two crafting groups together at my father's church because Mom wanted to do both the quilting group and the crocheting group and didn't want to have to choose. She is constantly crafting and coming up with projects. She has a garden that thrives despite the watering restrictions that are present right now. The only thing that seems to be not so good is that she has a chronic cough that seems unrelated to everything.
My father is not as graceful, but he seems to like the new reality as well. My dad has been a worker from home for the past 10-15 years. He would wake my mother up to get her started with her routine, and then he would work from his office. He still works from his office, but he is now dabbling in the world of political blogging (imagine my JOY at this!), and doesn't really have a schedule anymore. He has less hobbies than my mother does, so filling his time is a bit difficult. He basically goes from his office to his chair and occasionally out to breakfast. His morning routine has changed and he now takes his showers whenever he wants to! This is HUGE for him (and for me as I try to figure it all out!).
My aunt, on the other hand, is struggling to fill her upcoming retirement hours. She's not convinced that my mother is enjoying her time away from work. She cannot believe that my sister is more than ready to retire now, even though there are 9 more years on my sister's trek towards that state. She just cannot envision a world where she doesn't go to work, even though she hasn't seemed to enjoy that work over the years. It was just what she did.
My father has decided that my aunt and my mother will join my sister and myself on our retirement odysseys in 9 years. I laugh because, in all this discussion, no one has actually asked what I want to do when I retire. Not one question, yet my retirement is now planned out.
When I think of retirement, I think of the type of retirement that some of my music therapy idols are starting to experience. I love the idea of traveling places to share what I love and know about music therapy. I would love the opportunity to write books and lead training and meet others who are interested in the use of music as a therapeutic medium. I would love to be able to travel to exotic places (like, um, Cleveland) to work with music therapists in a variety of areas. I don't believe, however, that my role as a music therapist would stop just because I stopped working full-time. My sister, on the other hand, is ready to leave the world of education behind in order to embrace the new reality (in NINE years!). I am not ready to stop being a part of music therapy sessions and interacting with music therapy clients. I'm just not ready.
Will I be ready? We'll see, but I know that I am closer to how my aunt is feeling than how my sister is feeling right now.
Since that is my current outlook, I should probably do something about that, don't you think?
It is time to figure out what I am going to do once I can no longer do what I do now. It's time to take some action towards these goals and figure out how I can do this, work one full-time job and three part-time jobs, and still have time for me. It's time to envision a future where work is not the driving force behind getting up in the morning. It's time to plan for that future - and make sure that my future is what I want rather than what others are planning for me.
Happy Boxing Day!
Comments
Post a Comment