Not yet a finished product

AARP's magazine always highlights people who have turned 50.  This month they are highlighting people who have been working over 50 years...The Rolling Stones, Placido Domingo, Warren Buffett and the Queen of England.  That's cool, but I take issue with the concept that one's life is linked to the career (or at least the first career).  Itzhak Perlman is quoted saying:  "There are people who are uncanny, who are finished products at a young age.  I wasn't thank God."  

I agree with Perlman, except that I think he is talking about his career...still playing the violin.  Well, I'm not a finished product even though my first career is over.  I've got a future, which is unknown to me right now, but which I am certain will reveal that I am not a finished  product yet.

For my retirement Silver Streak and Techno Man gave me a start to my future:  Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4, which is going to launch my future into digital photography processing.  Unfortunately, it will also put me into direct competition with Techno Man who is a real artist in this arena.  Watch out, Techno Man.  I'm out to get you!  

So, let's add this to my retirement to do list:  #3 Learn Photoshop Lightroom 4

In that same AARP edition (September 2012) is an article about a woman who wanted to fulfill a life time desire to learn a foreign language.  She moved to Italy for three months and immersed herself in Italian.  I'm torn, because I really want to learn Italian, but need to learn Spanish since all of my in-laws and the Silver Tongued Latin Lover and his friends speak Spanish. 

So let's add this to my retirement to do list:   #4 - Learn Spanish (and then learn Italian?)

This is September 5 and I have been retired for five days.  I am really busy putting away things from the retirement and packing for my bike trip.  News Flash:  I took a two hour nap yesterday!  Okay, BUT... I started the day with one hour of Body Pump - increasing my weights on some of the exercises as my instructor suggested, 9:00 doctor's appointment (annual physical), then went to Target to buy stuff for the trip, Giant to get something for dinner tonight, and fed Friend's cat "Q".  I deserved a nap.

So far, I like retirement.

150.2

Make someone happy

My friend emailed me recently about a concept called "Blue Zones".  These are areas of the world where people live to much older ages...Okinawa; Sardinia; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, CA (7th Day Adventists).  Along with diet and exercise, the people in these cultures cultivate long-term friendships.  The scientists studying this phenomenon claim that longevity is more a factor of how you live than of the genes with which you were born.  


My friend sent me this idea for the blog because of the deep and long friendships I have enjoyed in my lifetime.  I've always assumed I'd have a pretty long life because of the longevity of my parents - Dad is 90 and Mom is 82.  Now I'm wondering if it is the genes or the factor of friendships that may influence my life and longevity.  My parents have been the most positive influence in my life, they have many friends (or did before most of them died---that's the problem with living longer--your friends die before you.)  My Dad has always reinforced the concept of friendship and treating people well.  My Mom has modeled this concept in her interactions with family, friends, and complete strangers.

There is more to it, of course, than just friendships.  The Blue Zones website lists the power 9:

1. Just move – Develop an active lifestyle, not just exercising to exercise.
2. Purposeful outlook — Have clarity about your role in life.
3. Down shift on stress — Learn to shed stress in your life.
4. Eat to 80% full — Stop your meals when you are 80% full rather than totally full.
5. Plant slant — Use meat more as a condiment than a staple.
6. Wine @ 5 — Drink Moderate drinking has positive benefits.
7. Belong to a community — Belonging to a faith-based community extends one's life in general.
8. Loved ones first — Focusing on family in life and keeping family members close to home will improve one's life.
9. Right Tribe — Having a social circle that promotes healthy lifestyles is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle yourself.  " Okinawans created ”moais”–groups of five friends that committed to each other for life.  Research from the Framingham Studies show that smoking, obesity, happiness, and  even loneliness is contagious.   Assessing who you hang out with, and then proactively surrounding yourself with the right friends, will do more to add years to your life than just about anything else."

Can't believe it, but Jimmy Durante is singing "make someone happy..."  on the radio just now:

Make someone happy,
Make just one someone happy;
Make just one heart the heart you sing to.
One smile that cheers you,
One face that lights when it nears you,
One girl you're ev'rything to.

Fame if you win it,
Comes and goes in a minute.
Where's the real stuff in life to cling to?
Love is the answer,
Someone to love is the answer.
Once you've found her, build your world around her.

Make someone happy, 
Make just one someone happy,
And you will be happy, too.

So, I'll be talking a lot about how I incorporate these concepts into my life in retirement.  Regardless of longevity, these are some pretty powerful goals.  

I'm pretty sure I have numbers 6, 8 and 9 down pat.  

I am so lucky to have my "moais."  

Life is a Banquet...Auntie Mame

My god, what a beautiful city this is.  Yesterday went for a 21 mile bike ride with three friends.  We are trying to get in shape for the Italy bike trip.  The city is just so beautiful....riding along the Potomac River.  What a sight.

Today we had a 7 mile walk from Georgetown to the other side of Union Station.  You cannot believe how beautiful, how many great people and places you see along the way.

I had lunch with an old friend yesterday.  She is almost 75 and still working.  She looks fabulous and not anywhere near 75.  Both of us discussed retirement.  She isn't ready for it and I am SO ready for it.  Interesting discussions on the topic and especially when she reminded me of Auntie Mame's famous quote about life.  "Life is a banquet and so many poor fools are starving to death!"  It reminded me of all that might be out there for the taking in my next life period.

Twenty eight years ago I quit my job, sold my house and announced to my family that I was moving to Europe.  No job, no place to live and only one friend in Germany.  That was the beginning of an era for me that will end on August 31.  That unbelievable experience led to me working for the DoD schools, then moving to D.C., then working where I am now.  It has been a great gig.  Who in the world thought that my gypsy existence in France would end up in a whole career working for the military?

So, I'm ready to start at the beginning of this banquet and work my through to the desserts.