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I've never had a sense of working to "achieve." Now, I've had more goals and changes than most people in two lifetimes, but they were to try and shape my life the way I wanted, not to achieve anything.
"Achieving" and "being a TV person" are certainly not the only choices, by the way. How about simply living, whatever that means to a person?
I think there are lots of retirees who think they are going to do jewelry/paint/write/etc. who largely lack unusual talent. If they had unusual talent, likely they would have done these things already.
I have a writer friend who gets mad if people say, "I want to write when I retire." He says it's like, "I want to do brain surgery when I retire." It takes a lifetime. Now, if someone enjoys the process of trying (which is perfectly valid) then great. I used to play saxophone (along with lots of other adults) with no plan or hope whatsoever of "doing something with it." I enjoyed the process at the time. I do believe maybe two professional musicians came out of that four years at the music school- one who had a trust fund, and the other was already working professionally in music and has continued and succeeded.
Process, not product!
Yes, I am working on a Ph.D. I am also a writer and when I am done with this program want to continue my writing efforts. I am also open to setting other goals. I am a life-long learner and enjoy learning and doing new things. I could never just "relax" and become a "TV person."
Since when did one equate to or join the other? I'm very relaxed but may watch an hour or two of television in a week. I am, however, a voracious reader which provides me with enjoyment as well as an ongoing "education." I simply have no hard, fast plans to go out and use what I learn. Ergo, what I "achieve" if purely for self and I'm fine with that.
...I think there are lots of retirees who think they are going to do jewelry/paint/write/etc. who largely lack unusual talent. If they had unusual talent, likely they would have done these things already.
I have a writer friend who gets mad if people say, "I want to write when I retire." He says it's like, "I want to do brain surgery when I retire." It takes a lifetime. Now, if someone enjoys the process of trying (which is perfectly valid) then great. I used to play saxophone (along with lots of other adults) with no plan or hope whatsoever of "doing something with it." I enjoyed the process at the time. I do believe maybe two professional musicians came out of that four years at the music school- one who had a trust fund, and the other was already working professionally in music and has continued and succeeded.
Process, not product!
Yes, but truthfully I don't think it'll ever happen. Not without a lot of help anyway. I have a book 'inside' of me that I've wanted to write for a long time. It would be fiction, based on fact, from the late 1500s forward. After doing my family genealogy for over 25 years I sure do have the facts! I find my family to be fascinating creatures and boy, are there some stories! I have always admired James Michener because he wrote the way I'd LIKE to write! I once read that he researched each of his books for like ten years. Obviously his research overlapped a lot!
Have you started to write? Maybe join a writers' group? This is the year!
I want to create a new garden when we move (again) this time in pure SAND near a beach. Maybe I'll join their garden club but I don't like the snooty kind of garden clubs, just the ones with down to earth people interested in gardening.
I'm interested in doing container gardening, in very large pots on my deck. It's amazing how much you can grow in them, with organic fertilizer. One of my friends does hanging tomato plants, and she has tomatoes all summer from must a few. Herbs too. I've noticed that anything growing in coastal air does great, including flowers.
I'm interested in doing container gardening, in very large pots on my deck. It's amazing how much you can grow in them, with organic fertilizer. One of my friends does hanging tomato plants, and she has tomatoes all summer from must a few. Herbs too. I've noticed that anything growing in coastal air does great, including flowers.
It's a great pursuit! I started growing my herbs in whiskey barrels several years ago. Raising the plants helped keep the bunnies out of my herbs. There is much satisfaction in growing veggies and herbs - and container gardens make it less labor intensive and possible in landscapes where tilling a garden is impractical.
I'm interested in doing container gardening, in very large pots on my deck. It's amazing how much you can grow in them, with organic fertilizer. One of my friends does hanging tomato plants, and she has tomatoes all summer from must a few. Herbs too. I've noticed that anything growing in coastal air does great, including flowers.
This is a great hobby! I've grown various varieties of tomatoes on my front walkway (I'm in a condo) for the past few years. Some of them grow to 6 feet tall. I've also done peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. It's fun to come home and pick vegetables to throw in the salad or stew.
I have a writer friend who gets mad if people say, "I want to write when I retire." He says it's like, "I want to do brain surgery when I retire." It takes a lifetime. Now, if someone enjoys the process of trying (which is perfectly valid) then great.
I think that many people have untapped "talents" that have been on hold all their working lives and the talents are amazing. They may not become brain surgeons but are really great writers and artists, business consultants, etc. They just need some coaching and being around others who're immersed in the same things. Heck, at age 60, conceivably one has 20 or 30 years to go, that's a long time to refine skills or transfer them to something else if one is impaired in some way.
It's a great pursuit! I started growing my herbs in whiskey barrels several years ago. Raising the plants helped keep the bunnies out of my herbs. There is much satisfaction in growing veggies and herbs - and container gardens make it less labor intensive and possible in landscapes where tilling a garden is impractical.
Hope you can do this!
Where do you get whiskey barrels? Do you put compost in?
(I bought a small compost maker from the town dump and have started using it)
This is a great hobby! I've grown various varieties of tomatoes on my front walkway (I'm in a condo) for the past few years. Some of them grow to 6 feet tall. I've also done peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. It's fun to come home and pick vegetables to throw in the salad or stew.
Can you describe how you plant the peppers and cukes?
"Achievement": grow enough veg's for eating all summer (Curmudgeon qualifies)
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I have always admired James Michener because he wrote the way I'd LIKE to write! I once read that he researched each of his books for like ten years. Obviously his research overlapped a lot!
