Adding another voice to Sunset Years: guest writer Linda Richardson outlines one strategy in her retirement transition. When my husband and I retired and moved to Victoria BC in May, 2014, I knew I would miss family members, great neighbours and dear friends. What I really didn’t think about was how I would replace those […]
THE RELOCATION PROJECT III
“The danger is that in this move toward new horizons and far directions, I may lose what I have now, and not find anything except loneliness.” Sylvia Plath We left Lennoxville when people were sorry to say goodbye to us — and we to them — but our timing of moving to Vancouver in 2012 turned […]
THE RELOCATION PROJECT I
To move, or not to move — that is the question, when contemplating retirement. Sixty-four percent of Americans say they’ll probably move at least once in retirement, citing reasons such as proximity to family (29%), reduction in home expenses (26%) and change in health (17%) or marital (12%) status. In a study of Canadians, 57% […]
FALLING, YES I’M FALLING
My first fall happened in 2014 when I tripped on a slight ridge in the sidewalk, toppling to the ground in front of a few bystanders. I got to my feet and proceeded running (walking actually) my errands. Once home, I saw blood and grime on my face, as well as a huge shiner developing on my eye. My second fall […]
COLOUR OUR LIVES HAPPY
Imagine my surprise when I discovered Goethe of Faust fame (yes, who made a pact with the Devil) is known as an early colour analyst. He published Theory of Colours, his treatise on the nature, function and psychology of colours, in 1810. In the 1980s I pitched a story about colour to the now defunct Verve magazine, which published several of my freelance articles […]
TOO MUCH TOGETHERNESS?
When our son was young, we read several books from The Berenstain Bears series, formulaic children’s stories about a family of bears confronting common concerns. The stories often dealt with excess, for example, Too Much Teasing, Too Much TV and Too Much Junk Food. Although Glen and I analyzed various aspects of retirement, we didn’t really visualize day-to-day living. Like many couples, we […]
A PARTIAL PRESCRIPTION FOR HAPPINESS
In 2011 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all people.” Since 2013 we observe the International Day of Happiness every year on March 20. At this stage, […]
THE BRAIN DRAIN
My title doesn’t refer to an exodus of talented individuals from our country. It alludes to the declining capability of the brain as we age. My friend Ian got me thinking about the brain with his email following: “While cogitating on retirement-related issues, pressed to the fore by your blog, I’ve been reading a “brain […]
BUSY IS AS BUSY DOES
About the word “busy,” we’ve all heard — or even uttered — these sentences: “I’d love to, but I’m too busy.” “Some other time, since I’m so busy.” “I’m as busy in retirement as I’ve ever been.” In 1986 sociologist David Ekerdt introduced the concept of the “busy ethic.” He claimed “retirement is morally managed and […]
A TIME TO STAY AND A TIME TO GO
“Leave when people are sorry to say goodbye.” My mom coined this adage and most often followed it when visiting her family. Despite having to fly to three cities across Canada to see her children and their families, she restricted her visits to three nights. She chose not to overstay her welcome, especially in consideration of her in-laws. We eventually reach a time […]