Fighting the fade
Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 06:07AM 
Sometimes the funny pages aren’t all that funny. The Doonesbury cartoon above appeared in last Sunday’s paper. It struck a nerve.
Trudeau has been creating the comic strip for as long as I can remember and I have been a constant reader. I admire both his political observations and his ability to find humor in ironic situations. He makes one think.
As a relatively recent retiree, Trudeau made me ponder the fading men in the frames above. While their wives seem to be using the time retirement has given them to pursue educational, social, and volunteer opportunities, the males are unable to articulate the purpose of their days. And thus fade…
I often ask myself if I too am not fading now over two years into retirement. Like the women depicted in the cartoon, I do a good deal of volunteering (usually around 30 hours a month for a non-profit that gives rides to seniors and shops groceries) and serve on my Rotary Club board of directors. I’ve used the luxury of being schedule-free to travel extensively, even during the pandemic, including two bike trips to Europe, two long road trips to US National Parks, and lots of in-state travel for hiking. I exercise regularly and read extensively.
But questions remain: Should I be doing more, especially given the labor shortages we are seeing in the U.S.? Should I be driving a school bus or working at an airport or just plain putting in more volunteer hours? And should I be focusing on new “areas of expertise” on which to study and write. It’s getting tougher all the time to find topics for the Blue Skunk that may be of interest to anyone but me. For a person who is accustomed to being read, this is hard.
Yet after 43 years of 9-5 plus employment along with a great deal of professional writing and speaking, I am reluctant to give up this newish freedom to set my own hours, choose my own activities, travel when I wish, and take a nap nearly every afternoon.
Suggestions, other retirees?
Fading, but still fighting.
Reader Comments (6)
Thanks for this post. I have been thinking along these lines myself, lately. I have been retired for about 1 1/2 years now., and so far I have not found my niche. This is partly due to the pandemic, but not completely. I do some of the things you mentioned, but I really would like something that I could lose myself in. Something I could be absorbed in for hours on end.
At the same time, I don’t want to give up the freedom of scheduling my time the way I want.
As to your writing, I very much enjoy reading about your trips and also your views on retirement. Keep writing, please!
I've also felt a little lost since retiring, some of that, as with Joy, coming from the general haziness of two years of pandemic. It's not that I haven't been busy, but I also haven't really discovered the kind of ongoing, interesting activities, other than photography, that works for me. But I'm still looking, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, we're off to see friends and family in Arizona next week and I'm trying to plan for some international travel next year, with the hope that leaving the country won't be so daunting in 2022. My niece has a new home in Paris with a guest cottage so that is definitely on the itinerary.
Thanks for the post, Doug. Looking forward to reading more.
Hi Joy,
I guess it is good to know I am not alone in my search for something more in retirement. Let me know what you find!
Doug
Hi Tim,
Perhaps retirement is harder for us since we both had engaging careers. (At least that is what I tell myself.) Glad you still post now and then and I enjoy your pictures.
Enjoy your travels. I'm always looking for a new adventure. Heidi and I are off to the Galapagos and Amazon rainforest this January for a couple weeks, then I plan to stay in Ecuador for a couple more weeks to avoid the worst of winter.
Doug
You should write a book about all your travels and travel tips. Especially for retirees. You could also include your other tips and recommendations for volunteering and such. You’ve already got a good amount of stuff in the blog and plenty of photos.
We have been busier than ever since we retired. I felt this was the time to do all the things I wanted to do but never had the time while working. We became Red Cross volunteer which was great but I burned out after about 6 years. Then we trained and became Master Naturalists. Now we lead 2nd graders on nature hikes at our state park. I am also an adjunct professor at my university which allows me to choose when and if I want to teach. So, I teach in person every July and an online class every January - April which allows me to travel during this time. I also have more time to hike, read, garden and knit. Then I take classes to learn new hobbies when I'm in the mood so now I'm learning to patchwork quilt. I'm a selfish retiree and believe this time is all about me! LOL
Hi Ninja,
Appreciate the suggestion. I've thought about the travel book tips idea before, but always wondered if having to write about travel might reduce the enjoyment of it. I am planning to make a personal memoir of my travels at some point. Without deadlines, such projects are easy to put off.
Hope you have a great holiday season. My family is all congregating in Atlanta in my son's new house at Christmas time.
Doug
Hi Pat,
You are a genuine inspiration to me! I always like hearing of your hikes and other activities on your blog. You could be one of the women pictured in the Doonesbury cartoon that was the inspiration for this post. Perhaps the trick to retirement is being willing to learn and grow.
Doug