Am I a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE retiree in Camden? Have to work harder at it?

mferra 2 Comments

–Dear Readers,

I used to picture retired people as having all the time in the world.  I mean, they weren’t going to work anymore. 

They didn’t have to pick out the right outfit, put on make-up, check to see if the cell phone, the wallet and the keys were in the purse.  (I’m talking about females, but I’m flexible.)  They wouldn’t have to gulp down breakfast, drive with an eye on the dashboard clock and hope for a good parking spot.  No full-time job in the workplace for retirees.

And, if we’re thinking about retired urban city teachers (obviously, I am, Camden City, to be specific), they wouldn’t have to worry about lesson plans, marking papers, surprise evaluators, broken car windows (happened to me twice, two different schools) or bag lunches…

Retirees–lucky folks!  Shouldn’t they accomplish life goals in a few months?  Think how much they accomplished in two months at work—especially if they were urban city teachers…!  All teachers are super, but I do believe that urban public school teachers are super-duper.

So, here I am, here in Cramer Hill at my kitchen table and wondering if I am going to be a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE retiree.  I do have a long, long, long list of goals for my retirement.  I look at it and weep.  Well, almost weep, better to laugh…

—OH NO!  I haven’t gotten out the rough draft of my book–uh, saving that for September, still have about a week, don’t I?

—OH DARN!  I haven’t visited all my relatives, godchildren, and friends yet—well, does the mini-cousin reunion count? lunch with Andrew?  the luncheon at Applebees?   I’m trying!

—OH PHOOEY!   I haven’t exercised enough to be in perfect shape—well, two months are not that much time, are they?  Come on now. 

However, I’m on the right track.  I can check off five items.

  1. I’ve spent much more time with family.  Check.

 2.  I’ve facilitated my writing group, Woodland Writers.  Check. 

  3.  I’ve started a blog.  Check. 

  4.  I’m walking almost every morning with my husband.  Check. 

  5.  I  took a trip to Massachusetts.  Check.

What’s good is that no one is evaluating me so perhaps I can veg out for a while tonight and be a BASIC retiree.

 

Written by Marguerite Ferra who is about to read a book for her book club…  Oops…  6.  I have attended book club with my friends and ate a lot of good food.  Check.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “Am I a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE retiree in Camden? Have to work harder at it?”

  1. Hi Marguerite, These blogs are great. As I have said, many are exactly what I have done or thought throughout life——-and retirement.

    Re that retirement LIST – you said so,so,so (3 ) long. I wonder if you can picture someone with about 100 – 1000…SOs. That LIST I have had since Forever, seems to only get little bits taken care of before more SOs are added – seems to be a never-ending circle! But, many of the ‘interruptions’ have been well worth it – Grandchildren!!! Travel, Book club(!), getting to the gym ‘regularly’, then it gets interrupted—hope to re-start, re-doing the kitchen, new rugs, painting —- sometimes so busy that one just shuts down. Must learn to accept the list and whatever does get done as positive and not lose sleep worrying about why and how to get the Original List taken care of!! Also, hope I am not the only one with such a long list.

    Good luck – you seem to be on the right track. xo, Lynn

    _____

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    • Lynn, It is as I feared? That I’ll never cross off everything on my list because more and more gets added. Thanks for reading my blogs and for commenting. It makes me happy and encouraged that you are enjoying them. Love, Marguerite

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