Here are some personal thoughts I decided to share with all of you ... After working for many years in several different fields including a huge corporation and enjoying my own business as a genealogical investigator I went into early retirement. My choice … not necessarily … but that is too long a story and boring even to me, after several years of enjoying my lifestyle now.
It has come down to two big choices for me…..
One (1)
I decided to downsize my space by moving from a large home to my cozy apartment which also meant getting rid of “stuff” that I thought I had to keep. I actually had an auction company come and get the boxes that had been moved to 4 different residents without ever opening them in between the moves and sell whatever they found. It was liberating and profitable. That action choice went for furniture and all household items. I only brought what I absolutely couldn’t part with and fit in my new space. Lately I have been going through the dozen or so boxes that I didn’t unpack right away and that now is getting recycled or thrown away.
The big social thing that I found new chunks of time to enjoy was advancing my knitting skills and getting projects completed out of the huge stash of yarn that I had kept and wanted to get worked up. No…. I won’t live long enough to work it all up, since I don’t plan on living to be 105 yrs old but I enjoy having the color and textures around me and have found ways to decorate with the fiber in small ways as I start new projects. Well you can only knit so much and hang with your knitting friends so long before you find your repeating the same conversations. Even my little dog “GingerSue” was getting tired of me hanging around all the time and disrupting her nap times and competing for attention with the knitting needles keeping my fingers and mind busy.
Two (2)
An opportunity came to my attention to go after a part time job at Target. I landed the job as a cashier and so enjoy the company, co-workers and the guests that come through my lane. Of course I really enjoy the flexible hours and my employee and Target debit card discounts. It’s an all in one package for me since it’s very close to here and I can do my shopping before I come home.
The biggest benefit has been meeting hundreds of new people that are looking for just a little understanding and patience when they have a little one that is out of control. Maybe that grandmother experience in me seems to stop the screaming and get a smile and a big sigh out of a stressed Mom or Dad. I love the older guests that come in as well and give them just a little attention that they are looking for briefly. Most especially I have new material for my conversations with my knitting friends and there is absolutely not one thing in the store for me to spend my paycheck on to advance my knitting habit. Yippy!!!
In closing – maybe coming out of retirement just to find something that gives a little extra jingle in a pocket to offset the gas & food prices but also doing something new is the key to an ever changing positive retirement lifestyle.
Loving my life after retirement ..
Joanne
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