A Glimpse Into The Good Life
Stories and anecdotes about retirement
Lake Natoma
Photo credit: Author
This newsletter is going to be a little different. It’s kind of a “day in the life” of retirement. I’ll do these every other week. I’m hoping they help eliminate the fear of the unknown for anyone who is looking to retire soon and maybe some of them will even provide some motivation for those of us who are. If you like them or don’t like them, reply and let me know!
I’ll try to observe others and pull their stories in as much as I can (and if you have some, please send them to me!), but probably a lot of these stories will just be little anecdotes from my own life because I have a front row seat for that one. Today’s is no exception. Those of you who read this newsletter know that I love to walk. Mostly, I walk around my neighborhood, often in the evening, and I see a few people out walking their dogs or letting their kids blow off steam before bedtime. Sometimes I wonder where my people (of a certain age) are. They should be out getting exercise!
The other day was a beautiful fall day here in Northern Cali. It will probably turn out to be one of the best days of the year. It was upper 70’s with a mild breeze and a bright sun. The leaves that are going to turn were starting to. To take advantage of the day, I decided to take my walk in the daytime, around 2:00, around a pretty little lake we have a couple of miles from my house. So, I started off from our cute little Old Town at a fairly brisk pace. As soon as I hit the paved path, I saw it. My peeps! Out in force! People my age and older having the time of their lives! I realized then that they don’t stay in neighborhoods and walk in the evenings. They don’t have to. They’re retired so they can take advantage of a beautiful mid-afternoon at the lake when the weather is amazing and the crowds minimal.
Mostly they were on bikes, which makes sense. Bikes don’t jostle joints quite the same way running and walking do. In fact, they align joints. They’re great for people of a certain age. It was glorious! People flying by on their bikes with smiles on their faces happily talking with their friends about the little hill and the view of the lake. A few folks were walking with friends, too, enjoying the afternoon and chatting about lunch in Old Town. They were getting in some good exercise. Some were making connections and enjoying some FUN. All of them were living the good life of retirement!
So, yes, find your purpose or at least something that gets your juices flowing. Have a schedule, at least sometimes. And make sure you’re taking care of those things that matter, like making budgets and eating your vegetables. But don’t lose sight of the fact that retirement means you can do what you like when you like a lot of the time. That includes a spectacular bike ride (or walk) around a gorgeous lake on a fall day so pretty it makes your eyes ache. Ah, the good life!