What they don't tell you about aging

I'm starting to get really annoyed about the impact of aging on my body. Just as I've been inspired by the Olympics to get fit, I develop a very sore spot in the ball of my right foot after walking or standing for any length of time. The good news is that these days you can diagnose your own health issues, at least to some degree. I've determined that I've got Morton's neuroma. Morton's what?, you ask. Well, its a nerve in the ball of your foot that may start to thicken with age (they don't really know why) and as it does and as you walk on it, it hurts.

Now, I'm always reading about heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia as health issues to be concerned about as we age - and well we should. BUT, no one ever tells you about all the little weird things that may go wrong with your body as you hit your 50s, 60s and beyond. Here's my list:

Teeth: I've had two teeth pulled out (after having had root canals and/or crowns put on them); both teeth had developed fine hairline hard-to-see cracks that led my dentist to say, out with the teeth!

Skin: My skin has started sprouting tag moles, especially anywhere that my clothes rub against my skin, like around my neck. Hardly life threatening but really not all that nice to look at. I've also started getting little flat moles on my face. I'm not really a big fan of plastic surgery and don't intend to ever have anything major ever done, but these moles really bug me.

Tongue: About 2 years ago, I noticed that after eating anything with a vinaigrette on it or drinking wine, especially red wine, my tongue would be quite sensitive. A specialist diagnosed it as geographic tongue! They don't know why you get it and they don't really know how to treat it.

Are you getting the picture? Now I could go on and on about my lower back aches, and the twinge in my knee, etc. but enough is enough.

I have to say I feel most grateful that I haven't had to cope with the acute health issues, at least not yet, that strike some of our age, but I would like someone out there to spend a little more research money on all of these minor, aggravating, chronic little problems that can really affect the quality of our day to day lives. I'm sure many of us suffer in silence since these minor health issues are really just that, minor; thanks for letting me get it off my chest!

No Dog Yet

Another spring has rolled around and I haven't done much to acquire that cute little daschund I said that I wanted to get in one of my earlier posts. It struck me this week that my indecision is based on a phenomenon that is probably quite common to retirees. I know that once I have the dog, I will adapt quickly and I'm sure would fall in love with having a dog in no time. However, my mind keeps chalking up the downsides as well. In particular, I'm concerned about how it would tie us down. If we went to a dinner party, we'd have to hurry home to let the dog out; if we wanted to get away for a weekend, we'd either have to find someone to look after it or take it with us. But if we did the latter, then who'd keep an eye on it when we went out. And which hotels would let us have a dog in our room. And then what if we wanted to take a longer vacation. And then I think about the huge veterinary bills that most of my friends with pets always seem to be talking about. See what I mean?

You can see my dilemma. Having a dog involves commitment and so too does getting involved in a volunteer or part time job, registering in a university course, just to name a few. In retirement, many people crave the freedom of no schedule, no feelings of being tied down, having flexibility. And herein lies the challenge. Once we do decide to commit, our options to do other things may narrow. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a reason not to get a dog or to take on interesting and rewarding commitments. But it is one of the issues that retirees do have to address as they implement their vision for retirement.

I wouldn't mind hearing from those of you who have bitten the bullet and gone ahead and picked out that cute pet. What's your secret for getting the job done?

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.

Losing Parents

This week two people died, one the parent of an old friend, and one the father-in-law of a close friend. Also, because I'm watching the Olympics, I know that Joannie Rochette's mother died. In the first two instances, the individuals lived into their 80s. In the latter case, it seemed terribly premature. Rochette's mother was only 55. In fact, quite a bit younger than I am. One of the issues I discuss in the seminars I deliver is the harsh fact that as we age, we are going to lose more and more people that we are close to. Not only that, we are going to be called upon more often to provide comfort and support to those around us who are experiencing loss.

When they conduct interviews with those who have lived into their 90s and even beyond 100, these individuals often talk about how they had to learn to deal with loss - of family, friends and friends of friends. They talk about the importance of continuing to have a life, to make new friends, to just keep on going. It sounds like quite a challenge to me. It must take a pretty positive life attitude and a great deal of determination to keep on trucking, despite the loss of loved ones and perhaps health challenges of one's own. Perhaps it just points up the importance of making sure that, as we age and move into retirement, we make the effort to have a life of our own, that, despite the losses, we will still having something to live for. I think this is particularly true for those of us who either have a spouse or who rely heavily on one other person to be there for us. In the first two instances I noted above, the remaining spouses, both living independently in their own homes, will now have to cope with being alone for the first time in more than 60 years. That leads me to the issue of members of our parent's generation who fight the notion of moving into retirement residences as they become more frail, but that's an issue for another post.

Snow versus Sun

I just spoke today with a friend who is spending the winter in Florida. She is someone who had a very high-powered career, raised three children, and is now taking a break from her very hectic and demanding life to relax, play tennis, and enjoy the milder climate Florida offers. I'm sittiing here in my home office looking out at the snow and thinking about what it would be like to spend more time in a warmer place. I know that many Canadian retirees choose to leave the cold and ice and snow behind to spend several months in warmer climes. My husband and I talk about this from time to time but don't seem to have the same drive to leave behind winter in Canada.

For some reason, as I've aged, I actually find that the winter seems shorter and shorter. Of course, this year, we spent a month away in a warmer place, and the winter here is mild, at least so far. The other day my husband asked me if I had started thinking about the cottage and when we would open it up. I have to say that I haven't, not yet at least. But back to warmer climes. I must admit that at times it does seem awfully appealing to imagine getting up in the morning and going for a walk on the beach, arranging to meet friends for a leisurely lunch, playing golf or tennis in the afternoon and then sitting on the deck, with a G & T before lighting up the BBQ in preparation for dinner alfresco. Just thinking about it makes we want to be there in Florida with my friend.

I'd love to know more about how people deal with some of the issues involved in being away all winter. How do people keep in touch with friends, how do they make new friends while in the south, how do they manage to finance two homes, and in the end do they love living this life in two places. Guess I'm just going to have to do a survey of those I know who are choosing this lifestyle and report back.

Feeling Lazy

I'm using the picture that I posted in my last post as a screen saver. I look at it often as I sit here in my office. I think my 3 weeks in Malawi have somehow slowed me down. Ever since we returned to Ottawa, I find that I'm sleepy alot. I'm calling it Malawi Malaise. It was summer when we were there; it was hot, humid and sunny most days. In general, we loved the fact it was like summer in Ottawa. At night, however, we found it hard to sleep under our mosquito nets as it didn't cool off much, there is no air conditioning, often not even a fan, and we were sleeping in strange beds. Maybe I'm just making up for lost sleep.

I was talking with a friend in Toronto by phone recently and explained to her that although I seem to have lots of energy in the morning, by early afternoon I just feel sort of lazy. Not that this phenomenon is all that new. I've always had a low point after lunch where my ability to initiate anything other than perhaps a shopping trip is almost non-existent. She says she feels the same way. We compared notes and agreed that without intense deadlines and pressures to force us to be productive, we lean towards lazy. I reflect on this often as I think about what retirement from work is really like for people and also what it's going to be like for me. Don't get me wrong. I really like having control over my time, with a tendency to work in the morning and goof off in the afternoon. But some days I feel that I just let the time slip through my fingers. What if I wasn't working any more at all. Would I do even less each day?

Compared to the challenges some people face in life, I know that these are pretty nice issues to have to work through. And I think it's good for me as a retirement planner to be facing some of the same challenges some retirees face as they transition from a life of full time work or even part time work into full retirement. I haven't got it all worked out for myself yet, but if I'd only take the advice I give to others, I'm sure I'd find the answer!

Trip of a Lifetime: Malawi

My husband and I have just returned from a trip to Malawi. It's a small country in Central East Africa. He spent 13 years there, from age 4 to 17. His Canadian father was a tobacco specialist, helping farmers improve their tobacco production back in the 1950s and 60s. He had only been back once in 1972 and had been bugging me for years to go back with him. I'd never been to any country in Africa.

I have to admit that I had a number of misgivings about going on such a trip. Fears of falling ill, contracting malaria, getting eaten by crocodiles, being mugged, being depressed by the poverty, just to name a few. However, I finally decided that if we were going to go, we had to do it soon (we are both in our early sixties) or before long it would just be too late to take on such an adventure.

Well, I'm thrilled to say that I didn't fall ill, didn't get malaria, didn't get eaten by crocodiles, didn't get depressed and didn't get mugged. Quite the contrary, we had a wonderful time. The country, especially since it was the rainy season, was just beautiful. It was so green, the scenery was incredibly amazing, and the people of Malawi were not only warm and friendly, but very polite as well. We travelled for 3 weeks all over the country in our rented 4x4 Jiminy. My husband did a great job of driving, managing to avoid hitting anything on the side of the roads, which included young school children, people walking to market, goats, bicylists (with very wide loads), and even hens.

We spent time staying with an old friend of my husband's on his farm, Matambo Estates, 3 days at a wonderful game lodge on the beautiful Shire River, and several days at the lake. Lake Malawi is a huge freshwater lake with gorgeous beaches, very colourful fish making for great snorkelling, and I have to say, the odd crocodile.

There is no question that Malawi has its challenges as a country. It has very few valuable resources, a rapidly growing population, and many hurdles to get over in improving the quality of life for its citizens. We had many interesting conversations with those we met about these issues. Despite these challenges, Malawi is a relatively stable country, living up to its image as the Warm Heart of Africa. I'd highly recommend it as a destination for anyone wanting to experience Africa. And, of course, I have earned huge points from my husband for finally agreeing to accompany him on his trip of a lifetime.