What things do you still find enjoyable? (relative, retirees, vacation)
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Who cares as long as you and your spouse are happy!!! It's all subjective.
If I lived in SF, I would eat out all the time, where I live? Nope, we eat in 99% of the time. I go through stages where I just want to read, or do photography or whatever, whereas most of my friends like to socialize.
They probably think my life is boring, but I love it.
I would just keep a critical eye on the situation, and make sure you are leaving your "happy zone" every once in awhile. We always want to keep growing.
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Well, retirement is an interesting time in life. I enjoy sleeping until 9:30AM and going to sleep around 1AM. I enjoy listening to old time crime shows on my internet radio for about an hour before going to sleep. I enjoy being on the internet on various forums like City-data or facebook. I enjoy good TV shows and movies on cable and Netflix. I enjoy eating at home. I enjoy our chihuahua who is 17 years old. Due to not being able to leave her alone or find anyone we trust to care for her, we haven't take a vacation in at least 10 years. I enjoy visiting friends and relatives and having them over, although this has decreased to just a two dozen or less times year. I enjoy talking on the phone. I enjoy taking pictures of birds and insects and flowers in my yard and posting them on the internet. I enjoy carrying on an email correspondence (probably once a week or more) with my cousin. I enjoy taking a walk in good weather. I enjoy playing guitar and keyboard and singing and making videos and posting them on youtube. There's things I used to enjoy that I no longer do and have dropped them as hobbies including astronomy and microscopy and gardening and travelling and reading thrillers. If something gets boring to me, I move onto something else. Most of my interests are sedentary. Due to illness I have lost a lot of my strength and energy, but my mind is still very active.
Not much of anything anymore. I don't feel the music as I once did and have no reason to dance hard and keep up to performance level, even if my body allowed it. I used to like to hike but my hips hurt too much now and I don't have anyone to go with. Local hiking groups move too fast. I still like to read and sew.
Worst thing is not having anyone to do things with - everyone has died or moved away. I'm not kidding. Joining groups bores me. I prefer one on one encounters.
Yes, it's very tough if your formal activities were all physical. I identified myself with hiking, river rafting and horseback riding. Yes, LDG, we can still read, thank goodness.
None of those dove-tail with my bad joints now. I have to find out "who else" I am, and that journey is not easy.....
I don't eat out as much as I used to. I realized long ago that I could cook meals that are better than what's served up by 90% of the restaurants out there, so unless there's real artistry involved or the food is exceptional or it's something I couldn't make myself, I'll pass. There's a Peruvian sandwich shop near my house, and I go there once every couple of weeks because the chef is really good and, well, it's Peruvian food (plus they have Inca Cola).
I don't like crowded events like I used to - parties and get togethers are great, but if getting to an event and home again takes longer than the event itself, it's not worth it to me. I still go to movies maybe once a month, but again, it needs to be something that I have to see on the big screen rather than wait to see it on my TV at home. Or something where the reactions of the audience are part of the enjoyment - like a good horror film.
I used to really like traveling -- but being by myself, I found during my last long car trip that I longed for a companion to share the experience with. Driving a thousand miles listening to the radio by myself isn't as much fun as it used to be when I was younger.
I'm retiring from work in 6 weeks, and I have plans for activities and groups to join. In the back of my mind is the specter of relatives like my mother who retired then sat on their cans in front of the TV until they died. I think it's more than being old and boring: cutting other people out of one's life isn't healthy. The notion of living in a geezer community surrounded by only other retirees gives me the willies; I want to be surrounded by life, by different ages, by parents and kids and feel that I'm part of a community rather than warehoused with other old timers waiting for the Grim Reaper.
What I liked to do when I was 10 was different than what I liked to do at 16. And what I liked to do when I was 16 was different than what I liked to do at 25. And what I liked to do at 25 was different than what I liked to do at 35. And what I liked to do at 45 was different than what I liked to do at 35....
And so on and so forth...
The only time you stop changing is when they put you in the ground.
Embrace what you enjoy TODAY and don't worry about some former version of yourself.
It is ridiculous to characterise the OP's comments as ''sad''. Nothing is sad about it. She does what she likes and that what counts. OP, it is always best, as I am sure you know, to avoid comparing ourselves with others or getting caught up in somebody else's idea of what you ought to be doing in life or retirement. Be yourself, do what YOU enjoy, and let it go at that.
Beyond that, I just do what comes natural to me. I am wanting to return to some younger interests now: art, musical instruments, photography, foreign language learning. Looking for new stuff to explore. I am not and never have been a ''joiner'' or one for anything involving crowds. I would make a great hermit in the woods. I am happiest doing things alone.
Last edited by HappyDogToday; 08-25-2017 at 12:54 AM..
Due to finances, I can no longer partake of my former social life. I used to go to Cape May, NJ twice a year and go out to dinner with a limited number of friends whom I've cultivated over many years. We still have our history in common, but very little else. They will be retiring well and are actively making plans.
Now I don't mind as much as I thought I would since I've also always had solitary pursuits such as reading, gardening and good films. Gardening is tougher now, but it's just so satisfying to turn a blank slate into a burst of colors and textures, so I'm going to hang in there as much as I can
I still play frisbee every day with my current Doberman (my fifth) as long as I can ice the shoulder afterwards - 35 years of frisbee!! I also still love to drive to different counties and spend time driving through country roads with all the windows down. It's a miraculous tension buster
I'm retiring from work in 6 weeks, and I have plans for activities and groups to join. In the back of my mind is the specter of relatives like my mother who retired then sat on their cans in front of the TV until they died. I think it's more than being old and boring: cutting other people out of one's life isn't healthy. The notion of living in a geezer community surrounded by only other retirees gives me the willies; I want to be surrounded by life, by different ages, by parents and kids and feel that I'm part of a community rather than warehoused with other old timers waiting for the Grim Reaper.
It is ridiculous to characterise the OP's comments as ''sad''. Nothing is sad about it. She does what she likes and that what counts. OP, it is always best, as I am sure you know, to avoid comparing ourselves with others or getting caught up in somebody else's idea of what you ought to be doing in life or retirement. Be yourself, do what YOU enjoy, and let it go at that.
Beyond that, I just do what comes natural to me. I am wanting to return to some younger interests now: art, musical instruments, photography, foreign language learning. Looking for new stuff to explore. I am not and never have been a ''joiner'' or one for anything involving crowds. I would make a great hermit in the woods. I am happiest doing things alone.
Great post, thank you. Great to hear from kindred souls.
I just made 2 plans with friends, yet to be confirmed. One for a hike with 3 women, and an art museum visit for a special exhibit with another friend. Often it is me with ideas and plans and dates, and just yes or no from others. I will go by myself for both if no one can make it, and that is fine as well. Secretly I think I will enjoy both alone more. There, I said it. Maybe my friends are just like me, they just want to be, and not always doing something!
I always imagined I that I am a city person. But now I feel now I will be ok in a rural setting as long as it has a nice view of sunsets every day. That is a big change I sense in myself.
Worst thing is not having anyone to do things with - everyone has died or moved away. I'm not kidding. Joining groups bores me. I prefer one on one encounters.
Join the groups then hook up with some one who has similar interest. Seriously. when my husband died, if I had to wait for someone to do something with I would have never left the house.
My city has many "meet ups" and I try to go to the ones that sound interesting. First they are free, so no skin off the nose on that one. Some times they are horrible, some times they are ok (but I won't be back), and once in a while there is one that really engages me.
whew, I gotta say so many of these answers are seriously depressing. Is that all there is to being a senior, eating dinner alone with the cat, never leaving the house?? lol.
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