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Ellen Goodman wrote in her final column before retiring: “There's a trick to the Graceful Exit…It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance in our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving on rather than out."
And moving on is the crux of the matter. Although I don’t know what Ellen Goodman is doing, I do know that people in retirement follow many paths.The wonderful thing about retirement is that there are so many possibilities.
Let me ask you questions about which path you might want to follow: Do you want to be a
A CONTINUER? Someone who continues to use your existing skills and interests, but modifying them to fit retirement?
An ADVENTURER? Someone who sees retirement as an opportunity to start new endeavors.
A SEARCHER? Someone who explores new options through trial and error.
An EASY GLIDER? Someone who enjoys unscheduled time letting each day unfold.
An INVOLVED SPECTATOR? Someone who cares deeply about the world, but engages in less active ways.
A RETREATER? Someone who takes time out or disengages from life?
Whichever path you follow, you can always search for a new or combined path. Retirement is not the end--it is the beginning.
Nancy K. Schlossberg Copright 2010
Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships, Purpose
