My Current Retirement (2 Years)
by Cindi H.
(Ohio)
I retired a little over 2 years ago. Went through the loss of daily contact with co-workers (huge loss to me because I do love to chatter for a few minutes here and there), had to learn that life without constant production of work is allowed. My hubby is also retired (3 years).
Currently, we both take piano lessons twice a month - on different days because I love talking with my teacher after the lesson - she's 86 and we have a lot in common.
We also attend a 2 hour class every Saturday to learn Lithuanian. That's my ethnic background and my wonderful Irish/English husband enjoys it, too. One of the most difficult languages to learn but we're enjoying the interaction with classmates.
Periodically we sign up for short classes at our local church. They usually run about 6 weeks. I also am on Facebook sites for Lithuanian genealogy to try to find connections and to learn about customs from that country. Every few months I donate blood at the Red Cross.
I've learned to take a minute and talk to cashiers when I check out - got a great recommendation for a book from the cashier at WalMart the other day.
I am blessed that my hubby and I are very compatible. He's constantly fixing up things around the house - just because he enjoys it - and he never complains if my main event of the day is reading a book from start to finish or working on genealogy (he does some, too). We occasionally get out to bars with live music and we often take walks in the wonderful Lake County parks both with and without our dog.
I love my retirement even though I still miss the everyday interactions I had with co-workers. I am not sorry to be retired. I often remark how blessed we are to be able to go outside on a weekday and not have to rush back to work or home - just take things at a leisurely pace.
I have learned not to overbook myself with "things to do" just because it's in my nature not to like schedules. Other than the piano, language lessons and occasional church groups, we can do things as we feel like it. Even taking a drive around the area is fun - we've only lived in this area for 7 months so we're still exploring.
I'm sure my daily routine will change as time goes on. I always keep in mind that I was a hard worker for almost 50 years and I have earned my leisure time. If I occasionally think about getting part time work, I remind myself that there are people who need that income for their families and that there are other ways to find people to connect with without working again.
We do not have a lot of money to work with, but we don't seem to need a lot of it to enjoy life - simplicity is a really great thing!
