Today is the official start of my second year of retirement from corporate life. A year ago, I entered this new phase of life with some ideas about what I could or would do with the opportunities it presented. Here's a look back at how well that went, for my friends who are still working and for the amusement of friends further along the retirement path than I am.
First of all, I want to say that the ability to enjoy retirement and accomplish things that are important to me is not something I take lightly or for granted. Long life, physical health and mental health are not guaranteed for any of us. Even just having the time and ability to share these thoughts in a blog is something to be grateful for.
As I entered retirement, I wanted to accomplish a few things with the time formerly occupied by corporate life. This is roughly how my plan went.
First, I wanted and needed to be more available for my wife, Denise, and her mom Alice (AKA, Gram), both of whom have gone through some pretty major health challenges this past year. Caregiving and supporting family through aging and health challenges are major priorities for me. I've done my best to fulfill that commitment over the past year, and it has become a big part of my life. Those who have been there know what I mean. For those who haven't, chances are the day will come. If you know, you know.
Second, I wanted to nurture and grow my creative side as a writer and songwriter. That's been going pretty well, though not yet at the level I'm shooting for. It's nice to have time to write and, in addition to this blog, I have three book projects in process. I've discovered that writing books isn't necessarily the biggest challenge. Dedicating the time and energy to promoting and selling them is. I've watched several friends do it over the past year or two, and it takes a lot of time, travel and hard work.
My songwriting output has improved as well, and that is truly one of the things that keeps me sane—or possibly insane, if you've heard some of my songs. Either way, anyone contemplating retirement should have a plan to keep busy, keep learning and keep growing. Retirement can't just be about what you stopped doing.
Along with nurturing my own creative side, a related passion is growing and supporting other creative people through 3rd Street Coffeehouse, which is now in its 40th year as a live music venue. I'm working hard on several projects to build on our existing platform and relaunch it for the next generation of musicians to receive and build upon. It's a sacred place in our community, and I'm honored to be part of the long legacy of people who are, or have been, a part of it. We'll celebrate our 40th anniversary next April, and I'll definitely be writing more about that.
Lastly, and unexpectedly, I've followed in my father's footsteps this past year by getting involved in grassroots politics at both the local and national levels. Over the past year, I found myself more and more disenchanted with the changes I was seeing in national policy and felt obligated to seek and support what I believe to be much-needed change. When Beth Macy announced her run for Congress in my district, I knew I'd regret it if I didn't support her.
My dad was a Democratic Precinct Captain back in the day, so I guess it's in my DNA to get involved at the grassroots level. Perhaps my efforts will help steer the country toward a better place. I hope so. I also hope Dad is looking down with his buddies from some smoke-filled cloud and they're proud of me. Knowing Dad, he's probably thinking four moves ahead of me and I hope he’ll pass along some good advice from the cloud.
Being that this is my first retirement, I still make rookie mistakes and I'm still learning. Mostly, I learn from people like you—people who may have different ideas from mine and challenge me to look at things from their point of view. Challenge accepted. I'd genuinely like to hear your thoughts in the comments. Are you currently retired or planning to be in the coming years? If you're retired, is your experience anything like my own? If not, how has it differed? If you aren't retired, what are your goals and plans to stay engaged, keep growing and stay busy?
Please share your thoughts in the comments. I hope our conversation will be thoughtful, respectful and productive.
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Thank you for reading—and for walking this road with me.
Bob, you back more contributions than your fellow humans in a day, than anyone I know. Yet you still make time for your personal growth and development. It’s almost a textbook blueprint for the perfect retirement. I’ve been retired for 2 years now and it’s nice to have more time for songwriting and performing. I’m in a slightly different place regarding volunteer work. I served on a bunch of non profit boards over the years that I was working and just didn’t want to commit to longer term duties. I retired at 70 and have worked since I was 15. Retirement is my time (and Kays) So any volunteer work I do is on a one off basis, usually involving kids or animals and with a short term duration. I think it’s important to not feel guilty about sitting in a recliner and binge watching a spy series…if that’s what I feel like doing. Some of my time is structured (golf, music rehearsals, exercise) but I take a lot of things as they come. Old friends wanting to spend a long weekend with us, getting in the car and taking a road trip, visiting family….just riding the wave of stimulation. Wish I could’ve done it sooner, but no regrets. It’s been a good life so far! Keep doing what you do Bob…you’re a saint!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. I'm not sure about the saint part just yet, but if we can have Pope Bob from Chicago, there may yet be hope. Did you see where the White Sox celebrated the pope last week by giving away about 40,000 pope hats (miters) with the White Sox logo? It was truly a Chicago miracle!
DeleteDid not see that. Wish I had. They could’ve made some flavored ice on a stick and sell them as popecicles
DeleteI totally get that. You could have communion during the 7th inning stretch. So many bad puns you could make.
DeleteI had a lengthy post but it disappeared. Ok..maybe I got to lengthy. I mean, after almost 40 years of retirement, you'd think I had a lot t say, right? I did.
ReplyDeleteNow, I had planned to share my wealth of information, but my plans changed. 2 points: make your plans but dont plan the outcome.
2: "change"...accept change as the most constant thing to deal with.
I quit there...for the time being.
Oh! Its ok to take a risk along the way.
My skydiving business has a motto;
"Where everything is perfect....most of the time.
Thanks Papaw! You are my hero and mentor! I don't think I've ever known any guy of any age that is adored by so many beautiful and talented women! I should let you write a guest article some day.
DeleteFrom Louann Howell - Bob, I have been medically retired since 1987, and for many years just did nothing other than feeling sorry for myself and believing that I was incapable of having a productive life again...but in 2013 things changed. I met a man who loved me and married me and inspired me to try new things and really enjoy life again. I became a volunteer and wasn't afraid to begin new adventures and try new things. He died in January of 2018, and I started to volunteer almost full-time, learned to play cello, got physically active and have really enjoyed life again. I have had a few set-backs physically since then and had to slow down my activities temporarily...but am again very active. I tend to overdo often and caution you to not do this - stay active and follow your dreams, while at the same time taking time out to care for your loved ones, smell the roses, have fun...situations change, opportunities change, our continued health is never guaranteed. Enjoy life to the fullest, but be willing to change plans, come what may.
ReplyDeleteThanks Louann. That sounds like good advice!
DeleteWelcome!
DeleteBob, Mona here. I feel like I'm on an opposite trajectory with a promotion a couple of years ago making my work super busy. As you know I'm a hobbyist and always make time to do things I enjoy. I'm a little apprehensive about retirement, because I watched my dad deteriorate after retirement. This was a man with as many interests I have and he couldn't wait to retire. He thought he'd have more time for reading, writing, painting, traveling, spirituality, golf, gardening. He was waiting to retire his entire work life. But when he finally did, his health deteriorated and he lost interest in all the things he was waiting to do. He seemed to be depressed and as a Psychiatrist, there was no way of treating him. My son wrote an essay in college hypothesizing that men of his generation attributed their personal worth to the ability to earn. That was an interesting theory and maybe true. Anyway I'm afraid to retire, probably because I love what I do, so maybe retirement for me will be working part time or going back to being a staff attorney, which was more manageable. We'll see. I have three retired attorney putting in free hours at the office right now. It's probably wise of them to keep busy and sharp.
ReplyDeleteDear Mona, that's a heartbreaking story and worthy of sharing with others, so thank you. I feel like my situation was more of a transition than retirement and actually, I feel like my life is way more balanced now than it was before I retired. When I was working and trying to handle caregiving responsibilities, I was getting completely burned out. Now, it's way more manageable and I'm able to even find time to do stuff for myself. I think your sons thesis had it right. I've seen a lot of guys whose whole identity was their profession and when retirement came, they were totally unable to adjust. As I got closer to retirement, I saw myself more and more as a writer and caregiver. Being a part of Beth's campaign also is rewarding on a lot of levels. Barring major health issues, I hope to be productive for years to come :)
DeleteYour first year of retirement has certainly been an interesting year for me too. Two major surgeries, with a third one ahead, all within about 14 months. I have been fortunate to have our daughter able to care for me and an excellent medical team here in NC, while your retirement has given you the time to be there for Mom.
ReplyDeleteAll of this unexpected time has given me the opportunity to keep building my blog and finish my manuscript, created from my own stroke experience with the hope of helping stroke survivors, families, friends and caregivers better understand the mind of someone moving forward after a stroke.
Neither one of us could have predicted what your first year of retirement would look like. You have found new directions, I have found some of my own, and I think we’re both still learning as we go. ❤️
Thanks Denise! Heal up and next year, we'll have more fun!
DeleteI've been retired for about ten years now and have been lucky to have good health and the time to learn more music, build different instruments, and travel a bit. The last five years or so have been given over to spending a lot of time with childcare for grandchildren, which has been both taxing and rewarding. Marcia and I just spent the weekend taking care of our two year old grandson while our son was leading a band at a Balboa dance festival in Prague. It's an honor to be a "roadie nanny" for this kind of situation! I believe you are on the right path as far as being able to balance creative pursuits with family needs and community endeavors and I admire the effort you put out for all of those. We could use more Bob Schmuckers in the world! Everyone is different though, and I think it's hard to compare our paths. Some people have bucket lists and some people have different causes to devote themselves to. Some people are just more driven and others get burnt out by the time they retire. I think we have to all find our own way. Sometimes I need to just have a day away from everything to clear my mind and that's one reason I like to go biking or hiking, not just a short journey, but at least a few hours or even most of the day. If you'd like to do this sometime and are able to get away, let me know. We can spend a day on the New River Trail where it's beautiful and mostly shady with no car traffic. Get on the trail and turn off your phone. It's a good headspace for coming up with song ideas! (Woody)
ReplyDeleteThanks Woody. I'd love to take you up on the New River Trail invitation. Maybe sometime in the fall, my situation will allow me to be out of pocket for a full day. Until then, I get my kicks on the Greenway.
DeleteThanks, Bob, for this and all your blog posts. I really enjoy your insights into the various topics you touch on. And thanks for all the ways you give to family, friends and community.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I’m still trying to figure out a definition for “retirement.” I left my full-time job back in 2012, but at the time it felt like I was just letting go of one of at least 4 jobs, others being: managing a household, playing music and managing a music business, and settling my Dad’s estate (which turned out to be quite complex and time-consuming). And, except for a brief respite during Covid, I don’t feel like it has slowed down much since. The estate is settled, but grand-parenting became an almost full-time job for several years. Once it eased slightly with one grandchild, another grandchild was added to the mix. So, honestly, I’m still waiting for what I thought retirement would be: volunteering in the community, time to grow musically and write more, time and energy to explore new hobbies, and maybe a bit of travel.
I’ll admit that my busy life probably stems in part from my tendency to be overly responsible. I am the oldest daughter in my family and was always taught to put others’ needs before my own. And it makes it hard for me to feel good about doing things just for me. But I know I need to do more of that, and things will at least be changing on the grand-parenting front this fall, so maybe there will be more time for some of the pursuits I thought would come with retirement. At the same time, I will try to keep in mind the advise given in some of the comments to remain open and flexible when plans change as they inevitably will! (Marcia)
Thanks for those insights Marcia. I think you've hit on something important -- men and women approach retirement differently. And culture in general seems to hold men and women to different standards. Does anyone else feel that is at least partially true?
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