Who goes on a Retirement Journey Anyway?

A retirement blog might be assumed to be written by someone retired, yes?

Do I fit?

Looking at the definition of retirement as provided by Dictionary.com we see retirement explained as:

Retirement re·tire·ment rəˈtī(ə)rmənt The action or fact of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work.

Well, yes, I did leave my job. There was a party and everything.

No, I have not ceased to work.

So maybe not “retired”.

Dictionary. com suggests:

Semi-retirement sem·i·re·tire·ment semīrəˈtīrmənt The practice of retiring or withdrawing from employment or an occupation but continuing to work part-time or occasionally.

Ah yes, semi-retirement resembles more of what I have going on. I am part of a casual writing pool, write on a contract basis, babysit for kisses and have a gig which keeps me fit and contributes in a minimal way to my vacation fund.

I work sometimes, I do other things sometimes and sometimes… I write.

Over the years, people would say,

“You should be a writer.”

I always meant to do it.

There were little stabs here and there, and PILES of reflective journals adorn my office.

At a friend’s funeral, they read a letter out loud I had sent to him before he passed, promising I would follow his advice and write. (Busted)

 I became determined to follow through.

That was twelve years ago.

At another funeral, I was asked to be “emcee” for the celebration of life and received requests for the notes from the event.

“You should be a writer.”

I again became determined.

That was 4 years ago.

There was always something more important.

More important.

Babysitting, Facebook…cleaning the toilet.  Right.

During our recent move, I discovered a bit of the book I had started writing in 2008. Attached to the notes was an email from a much-respected friend, saying I had made her cry. She is one of the toughest people I know and doesn’t go in for unnecessary emotion; making her cry was worth noting. Upon rediscovery, I thought,  

“Huh, I’d forgotten this.”

I was surprised to see how far along the writing was. I always knew it was squirrelled away somewhere but had forgotten that I’d made progress.

We sometimes trudge along in our daily routines and create ruts so deep we can’t see over the rim to our dreams and bucket lists.

So, here I am in semi-retirement. A break in those trudging daily routines. A chance to get some of the things done I’ve been pushing aside. Most mornings (much as I had envisioned) begin with a leisurely cup of coffee and some reading.

But many of those mornings…

I write.

~ “I’d love to hear your comments on what you’re exploring in retirement, or what you will explore once you get there!”  – RD