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Yesterday my husband walks out of his home office and says, "Who ever thought retirement would be filled with so much learning?" I thought about what he said a while and realized how true that is.
Personally, in our case I must thank computers to a large extent. It keeps me current and involved in my passion--doing creative arts. It has taught my husband a lot about his passion--photography and using photoshop. This past winter I also mastered the iPhone and iPad, even how to text my kids! Friends of ours go to classes and workshops at a a community based "Continuing Education School" for older persons. Of course, there are other ways of learning and retirement means finally having the free time to focus on it.
Does anyone else here feel as though they are learning more new things now that they are retired than they did during their mid-life years? If so, what and how are you learning them?
Yesterday my husband walks out of his home office and says, "Who ever thought retirement would be filled with so much learning?" I thought about what he said a while and realized how true that is.
Personally, in our case I must thank computers to a large extent. It keeps me current and involved in my passion--doing creative arts. It has taught my husband a lot about his passion--photography and using photoshop. This past winter I also mastered the iPhone and iPad, even how to text my kids! Friends of ours go to classes and workshops at a a community based "Continuing Education School" for older persons. Of course, there are other ways of learning and retirement means finally having the free time to focus on it.
Does anyone else here feel as though they are learning more new things now that they are retired than they did during their mid-life years? If so, what and how are you learning them?
I meet people who have been out of school for 10 - 15 years and they seemingly have stopped learning altogether. I don't understand this mentality.
In my 50s, I am now learning more than I ever have before because I understand how much I DON'T KNOW!!!!! I am tackling Chinese which is a real challenge. In the past five years or so I have taken up a good many new hobbies and interests.
I feel badly for people who do not have any interest in learning. At any age.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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That does depend a lot on one's desire to do so. I have friends who would not consider taking any classes or edu, or trying 'new things'. (that is fine if that is their choice)
I am a learning nut... (add that to my fault of wanderlust :..) and I have a tough time focusing on 'Must-Do' stuff. (I have lots of 'vices', but learning MAY be the most time consuming)
I just got back from a week long training series in Madison, WI; took 2 courses this week (and taught 2 as volunteer). Have a national convention next week that is largely classes / skill improvement. Just finished a masters program (post age 50). I teach and attend Master Gardening, orcharding, new product development, international trade, business financials, and cooperative business and housing development. I hope to get an international PT teaching gig with USAID or equivalent to pay my medical insurance for next 10+ yrs till I'm old enough for Medicare.
But my favorite learner friend is a 94 yr old that just switched from PC to MAC.. This person is amazing and has a really complicated home entertainment system and connectivity that allows to view an immense video / camera library on one of several devices accessed from various controllers and storage devices. This person still jumps at the chance to take or teach a class on travel / photography. (And is a great travel-Buddy)
I find I'm becoming more and more of a "news junkie." While I always tried to keep current in what's happening in the world, being retired means having a lot more time to do it in a lot more depth. I've been taking seminars for older adults discussing current affairs and the breadth of knowledge among some of the participants is amazing. The first time I attended I was concerned that some of the more controversial topics might get overheated and ugly, but it's nice to know people can discuss the issues in a civil matter (politicians take note!). I've learned a lot.
Great inspiring and heart warming stories already here. Thanks. I can relate to [b]20 yrs in Branson[b]'s saying that the inspiration is finally realizing how much they don't know. How true! Perhaps that's the key to this thing called "wisdom" that we're supposed to have as we age? LOL Love the story about the 94 year old computer wiz, too.
Thanks so much. I hope the inspiring stories will continue to come in.
I ain't a-goin' back ta school. But that doesn't mean I've stopped learning. Right now I'm trying to master photography with a decent DSLR camera and PhotoShop. As a former political and legislative analyst, the profession from which I retired three years ago, I've always been a news and politics junkie and that's still a passion.
The Ozarks are rich in American, state, local and social history and we explore those every chance we get. There is so much here we'll never be able to see/explore it all in what's left of our lifetimes and in a way, that's a comforting thought. We'll never run out of new experiences and things to learn.
When we moved to the SW Missouri Ozarks we came home!
I'm moving to Mount Desert Island as soon as I sell my house(should be fairly quickly considering). MDI in case you don't know, is the home of Acadia National Park. Its also the home of a very successful Senior College. With the three biggest employers on the island being The Jackson Laboratories(big cancer research place), Maine Biological Lab, and the College of the Atlantic, the island is not only teeming with wildlife its teeming with the excessively educated. Joining Senior College guarantees that one will learn all kinds of new things and maybe even feel a little like one is back in the college classroom from 30-40 years previous.
If I don't learn something new every day I consider that day to be wasted.
I don't go to classes. I find the environment stifling. I always have.
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... (add that to my fault of wanderlust :
..) and I have a tough time focusing on 'Must-Do' stuff
. (I have lots of 'vices', but learning MAY be the most time consuming)
. This person is amazing and has a really complicated home entertainment system and connectivity that allows to view an immense video / camera library on one of several devices accessed from various controllers and storage devices. This person still jumps at the chance to take or teach a class on travel / photography. (And is a great travel-Buddy)
