Volunteering - Not as Easy as You Think

Many retirees want to "give back" and see the volunteer sector as a good place to do that.  For many, the perception may be that if they just show up, the organization of their choice will jump at the chance to have them as a volunteer.  However, the reality of modern day volunteering may present them with quite a shock.  Why so? 

First of all, they may discover that, instead of welcoming them with open arms, there is a selection process in place that involves an application, reference checks, and an interview.  That almost sounds like the workplace they have just left!  In some instances, this process may lead to rejection as a candidate.  I know because that happened to me.  I went through the process for an organization that I thought was a perfect fit for me.  They didn't agree.  I got screened in at the application stage, went to the interview, and then received a rejection letter.  I was devasted because I had never for a moment thought that I wouldn't be given one of the 20 slots (out of 50 people being interviewed).  To make matters worse, I then found myself wondering what it was they didn't like about me. 

Secondly, let's suppose that the person does get through the recruitment process and is assigned a role.  Many organizations do ask for a time commitment, say six months or a year.  I volunteered at our local hospital and, based on a discussion with the Volunteer Coordinator, was given an assignment (one afternoon per week) on the Continuing Care ward.   As a home-based business person, I wanted more social contact and told the Volunteer Coordinator this.  My assignment sounded promising except that the other volunteers that were supposed to work with me, either didn't show up or quit.  I ended up working alone.  Also, for some reason I still don't understand, the hospital staff, including the nurses, were quite unfriendly.  None of them even remembered my name, even though I was on their ward an afternoon a week for a year.  I did enjoy helping patients with lunch and socializing with them but in the end I did my one year stint and then decided that it wasn't for me.  Of course, one of the nice things about being a volunteer is that you can quit if you decide it just isn't working.

So...some advice.  Think carefully about what kind of volunteering you want to do, identify what your expectations are, check out the relevant organizations carefully, and realize, that if they do have a selection process in place, you just might be screened out.  In the end, one of the luxuries retirees have is time and if this time can be dedicated to the volunteer sector, it can be a win win situation so go for it with your eyes wide open.

Researching Family History

My husband's father spent a number of years in retirement researching his family's history.  He left behind when he passed away, a large database of information.  When my husband retired, he picked up the torch and has done more research using several internet-based genealogical sites to assist in the process.  On our recent trip to Ireland, we visited the small town where both his father's parents came from, Lorrah.  It's fine to have a detailed database of dates of birth and death and marriage, but it made this history seem so much more real to walk on the main street, visit the postmistress for a short discussion on whether there were any Conroys left, and to see the four historic religious buildings in town (in varying states of decline), one of which dates to 540 AD!

Through his research, my husband has discovered a number of cousins, one in California, one in Tennessee and one in Northern Scotland, that he now keeps in touch with.  No wonder so many people as they move into later life and retirement, place a priority on doing this kind of research.  It involves challenges, mysteries, great finds, and maybe even new friendships.  Best of all, once documented, the output can be shared with anyone who has an interest in the family and provides the next generation with a sense of where they have come from.

The Bucket List

I was talking today with an old friend.  We were discussing Ireland; we both have ancestors who lived in Ireland way back.  She was telling me about her personal "bucket list".  One item on her list is to visit Ireland.  I realized that this topic fits in with my last post (which was awfully long ago); it was about figuring out how to have enough money to live on in later life while also using some of those savings to enjoy life.

I do have some things I want to do before I die but they've just been floating around in my brain.  I think I'll take it to the next step and actually create a word file with the list identified.  By doing that I figure that it will help me to priorize them, to cost them, and to then negotiate with my husband!

There comes a point in life where saving for the future isn't as important as it used to be and where using time wisely increases in importance.   In retirement, we gain the freedom to pursue our dreams so get on with it!  I'm going to.

Top Ten Retiree Activities

I came across the results of a survey recently that suggested that the following represent some of the most popular retirement activities:

• Travelling:  This is high on the list of many retirees
• Family Activities:  In retirement retirees can finally devote more time to their families
• Hobbies:  All those activities like crafts, woodworking, antique hunting, etc. are on the list
• Gardening:  Being out of doors is a priority and gardening meets this objective for many.
• Fishing:  This activity is more popular than golfing and tennis combined.
• Golfing:  Notwithstanding the above comment, many retirees spend a lot of time on the golf course.
• Volunteering:  Retirees want to give back and many do it in the volunteer sector.
• Reading:  Finally, there is time to sit down and read a book all the way through in a few sittings!
• Exercising:  Modern retirees place a high value on keeping fit and in good health.
• Home Improvement:  Now there is time to get at that To Do list.

Morning Ritual

My mornings almost always begin with a good strong cup of coffee.  We get two newspapers, the Globe for my husband to read, and the local paper for me.  I enjoy sitting at the island in my beautiful kitchen, with this cup of coffee and my paper, reading it slowly all the way through.  Once I'm done and have eaten some breakfast, I normally get washed and dressed and then head into my home office, where I work on my business agenda until lunch time.  Then, the rest of the day is mine to do with as I please.  Oh the joys of semi-retirement!

I've noticed that when my schedule for the day precludes this highly civilized beginning to my day, it really annoys me.  I don't want to feel rushed, and I certainly don't want to have to leave the paper half read.  Usually this happens because I have a work commitment that requires me to cut short the ritual.  It surprises me how much I resent this.  I puzzle over why this morning ritual is so pleasurable.  From talking with others, I understand that this ritual is shared by many.  Why does it have such power to please?  And why do I resent it being cut short?  I'm still working on the answer. 

The Perfect Day

Today is my idea of a perfect day.  First of all the weather is exceptionally mild for the end of March and it's also sunny.  I had a leisurely breakfast, a ten o'clock appointment for a facial, met a close friend for lunch, spent a half hour at my local library, dropped by to visit a friend  who had offered me some plants from her garden (we had tea sitting on her front porch in the sun), returned home to do a little gardening of my own, to be followed by a light supper with my husband and a wide open agenda for the evening.

What is your idea of the perfect day?  It is a great way to think about what you want to do when you retire.  Play around with the answer.  Not everyone has a clear idea of what their retirement is going to look like and some people think that planning is a waste of time.  It really isn't; if you really aren't sure how you feel about retirement and you can't quite imagine what you'll be doing when you retire, take my question to heart.  Come up with as many perfect day ideas as you can.  Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover that there are perfect days waiting for you in retirement.

Spring is here; the garden awaits

We are having an early spring; almost all the snow in our yard is gone and the tulips are coming up.  Because we are cooped up somewhat during the winter months, I find that I am dying to get outside once spring arrives.  Luckily for us, it's happening earlier than usual.  I was out yesterday cleaning up the walkways and also the garden.  I attended a garden seminar last year and the expert had an interesting take on gardening.  He suggested that you just leave all that plant material and leaves on the ground in the fall, don't clean it up in the spring, and it will become mulch for the garden. Everything will basically grow up through it, and eventually it will decompose and improve the soil.  Seemed to make alot of sense to me.  He was also big on adding more mulch to the garden on top of last year's stuff.

This is where I link the topic to retirement.  I have gardened for a long time and every spring I can't wait to clean up my garden.  It is very satisfying work.  It's good physical activity; it's great to see what is coming up under last year's leaves and plant material, and once the garden has been cleaned up, it looks great.  Old habits are hard to kick though.  If you are a gardener who has gardened a long time, you too have your rituals.  I promised myself that I wouldn't clean up this spring but yesterday I couldn't seem to stop myself from raking just a little way into the beds.  I also felt I should at least chop down some of the taller perennials, like the phlox, that look pretty awful this time of the year.  Once you retire, you claim back your time and many of you will probably devote a good chunk of that time to your garden.  If you are retiring in the spring, it will be very tempting to get out there and clean up.  Larry Hodgson, the expert I mentionned above, would suggest that rather than doing that, you should dust off a lawn chair, put it out in the back yard, grab a tea or coffee, and just sit and watch your garden grow.  The question is, can you do that?

Going for Gold

WOW!! I just spent the last two weeks watching the Olympics and boy do I feel inspired! When I think about how hard and dedicated all of the athletes have to be, not just to win gold, but to even make it to the Olympics, I'm astounded. As a semi-retiree, I have a tendency, as I've noted in an earlier post, to let my time slip away. Dont' get me wrong, living life at a relaxed pace can be a very healthy option. But here are two things you will always see if you read books on how to have a succesful retirement. One is to keep as healthy as possible and the other is to lead a meaningful life.

I think we boomers in the retirement zone could all learn a great deal from these (mostly) young athletes about how to do just that. Perhaps my new motto will be "Going for Gold", and I'm not talking about medals here. I'm talking about living my life in such a way that I'm always striving to learn, keep fit, participate, connect, challenge myself and essentially live a life that is full and satisfying. If this leads to even a little bit of that JOY that poured out of the TV screen during the past two weeks, I'd be a happy woman.

Commitment versus Freedom in Retirement

A friend dropped by for coffee yesterday and we talked about her husband's retirement. He really enjoyed his work and in his first year of retirement he took on a teaching project at a nearby university. She says one of his challenges in retirement is managing his time. He hates routine so just lets the days slip by doing whatever he feels like doing - that, of course, is how some people define retirement! However, as a deadline related to work approaches, he becomes a little stressed as he has to gear up to get the work done on time.

She is a very organized person and says that he really needs to establish a routine so that he doesn't fritter all his time away. We got into a discussion about the need to find some balance between making commitments in retirement and leaving our schedule wide open. Personality is a pretty important element in determining what this balance might look like. On the one hand, she likes her week to be well organized, and she has several fixed time commitments. This means that she uses her "free" time more efficiently since she knows her days are not totally open ended. At the end of the week she can clearly identify what she accomplished. On the other hand, he prefers open ended days and ends up being stressed out about locked in commitments that result in lots of last minute pressure to produce and perform. I suspect that at the end of the week, he is probably pretty comfortable with whatever he has done, regardless of how much or how little.

So what's it going to be for you? I struggle with this issue since I'm anti routine but also like to feel that I am accomplishing something every day. I suspect that for some people, it takes quite a long time to figure out just what the balance should be between making commitments, being organized and focused and yet leaving enough free time to be spontaneous. Bottom line: it really is a very personal issue. What works for one, won't necessarily work for the other. Advice: get a handle on this issue before you retire so that you can go through the transition, having taken into account your own personality traits.

Collecting and Decluttering - All at the Same Time

It's a good thing that I'm semi-retired. I need those free afternoons to go to auctions, estate sales and antique shows/shops searching for treasures that are waiting to be rescued by me. From what, I can't really say. I seldom come home empty-handed as I have a wide range of used/old/antique things I like. It could be antique china, or 50s pottery or, just last week, a set of what I think are pale green bakelite handled dessert knives and spoons. I thought the metal part of the cutlery was just silver that had become tarnished. Turns out the metal is gold in colour and I'm not sure what it is. Anyway, at $15 for 8 of each, I thought I was getting a bargain.

The flip side of this searching for treasures is the deep desire to declutter my house. From what I've read about aging and retirement, it does seem to hit people as they age, this need to clear out all the stuff that has accumulated over the years. I have to say that my husband does think I'm nuts since the two activities seem awfully contradictory! The nice thing about being semi-retired is that I find I actually have time for both activities. I take a box of stuff about once a month to a consignment shop and every now and then they give me a cheque which I then use to go and buy more stuff. Better stuff of course.

The activities people choose to pursue in retirement should be activities that give them pleasure. I know that when I jump out of bed early on a rainy Saturday, with ten or twelve garage sales to visit, I'm excited to get on the road. The anticipation is almost too much to bear; and when I get home with my "treasures", I love the show and tell. Recently, I actually invited 2 friends over to share in a rather large box lot of linens I'd bought for $10 at an estate sale; we had such a good time. So....whatever your passion, pursue it. And if some people think it doesn't make any sense, that's their problem!