|
Retire the "R" Word Contest -- virtual drum-rolls and envelope openings -- and the winners are: Nancy Weidner, Fort Myers, Florida, and Sharon Pietrzak-Suzda, Wilmette, Illinois, for "Renaissance." Runners up are K.J. Dante, Rockville, Maryland, for "Graduation" and to-be- announced for "Entirement," which carries the idea of wholeness. Honorable mentions go to: Bill Timlen for "Redeployment"
Donna Smock for two entries: "Refirement" and "Keenagers"
Regina R. Sams for "Re-firement" -- great minds
Larry Rummel for "Refinement"
Clarice Humphreys for "Ultimate Adventure"
Michael Y. Park for "Repurposed"
Stephen Kindel and Ray Goydon for "Regeneration" With 83 submissions to consider, we burned the midnight oil and dog-eared a few dictionaries before we were complete. Thanks to all of you who sent us your favorite alternative for the word formerly known as "retirement." Renewal and rejuvenation were popular choices. And a number of you came up with variations on the theme of "freedom." We appreciate your thoughtfulness and originality. Here are a few of the terrific comments we received: Nancy Weidner: "To me [Renaissance] means awakening, rebirth or time to do your most creative and self-satisfying activities. In most cases we aren't shackled to a job any more but can choose to work or do whatever we want. Focusing on raising a family and saving for retirement has kept our noses to the grindstone. We can now awaken our dreams and become the person we always wanted to be if we didn't get there already or go beyond those dreams. I'm not ready to 'withdraw' from life but to go on and do my best. The Renaissance era was one of the most creative and productive times in history. I think that everyone who 'is 'too young to retire' should use this time to be a 'renaissance man (or woman)'." Sharon Pietrzak-Suzda: "Retirement: to resign, withdraw, or abdicate. Appropriate to describe the societal withdrawal from the work-a-day world, but inaccurate to define a stage of life. Many of us have chosen to "retire" ourselves from routine lives, with prescribed roles, in order to partake in more active, independent and fulfilling existences, not to wither or abdicate our roles as function, productive human beings. For those, retirement does not adequately describe this stage of life. "This new stage of life does not have to be predetermined by age, nor does it have to be mandatory. This new stage of life is powerful and rejuvenating. It is marked with self-realization, and a greater appreciation of life, self, and others. It is a period of time punctuated by discovery of talents and interests that remained dormant during our appropriately selfish growth years (20's and 30's), and which absorbed too much of our time during our task driven years (30's and 40's). It is a stage of life where acquisition is less important than self-expression and personal fulfillment. "It is a stage of life that allows us to satisfy mind and body simultaneously by allowing us to become Don Quixote-ish in our new quests, Plato-ish in our pursuits of thought, and Job-ish in our development of patience with our own, and others, mistakes. We have begun to discover the true balance of life, and the desire to transform our lives into what we truly want. "We've lived the first part of our lives, or our first lives, the way we were taught, and we retired from that life. Now, leaving that life behind, we are reborn, to enter the next stage of our existence, the Renaissance phase...The period, once known as retirement, marked the end of productivity. Today, it no longer has to mean that. If those years after we leave our pre-ordained roles are viewed as a Renaissance we can leave the constraints of other peoples demands and expectations behind. Rather than abdicating our worth, we can step into a world where productivity continues, and is manifested by self-satisfaction, personal growth, and peace." Katherine Dante: "I have graduated from kindergarten, grade school, high school, college, and will soon graduate from work. Each step of the way, I prepare myself for the next step. These five "schools" I have or will have graduated from all are only part of my day; the times were decided by others; in each I moved from newbie to old timer. Now I graduate into the final portion of my life, determined by me, with few limitations by others." Bill Timlen: " 'Redeployment' is a good solid bureaucratic term that I could see being used in a personnel record. And it implies going elsewhere with a focused and purposeful goal." Larry Rummel: "Refinement seems appropriate in that by the time we retire we have (should have) refined our work, ethic, lifestyle, faith, finances, social style, education and general outlook on life. This should be the happiest time of life!" BOOK SITE If you enjoy profiles of ordinary people doing remarkable things, Keeping The Beat: Healthy Aging Through Amateur Chamber Music Playing (Wordscope Associates, Evanston, Illinois 1999) is your kind of collection. Ada P. Kahn (one of our True Story profiles) draws on her experience as a health educator and award-winning author on the subject, in her latest work. Here she profiles sixteen older adults who are finding new challenges as performers of chamber music, and another eight professionals who coach or play with amateur musicians. This straightforward work relies on actual interviews with a group of musicians between the ages of 67 and 94 to makes its central point: performing chamber music can be a powerful antidote to the physical and emotional difficulties of aging, isolation and loneliness among them. The physical benefits are summed up in the Foreword, written by Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect says: "There is a release of endorphins, the brain's own 'opiates' that can induce a 'natural high'. Players can boost their immune function." Many of those interviewed are returning to their earlier passion for music; several took up an instrument later in life. The strength of the book is the freshness of actual voices talking about their enthusiasm for performing as well as some of the individual difficulties each has overcome. Here's Clarence Randall, 74, a former librarian who plays the piano with a group: "Retirement is a wonderful vocation if you work at it," he says, "you have to put as much into your retirement as you did into your work experience... Music was always my hobby...Now I play three times a week with other people. You have company and can share ideas about what you are doing." Here's Dan Tucker, 75, flutist, pianist, composer: "Playing chamber music gives...an organizing principle to your life. It is something to shoot for, something to organize your day around. For many older people, this stimulus is missing." Interest in chamber music is growing among the 50-plus, according to Daniel Nimitz, executive director of the Amateur Chamber Music Player, so there are a lot of 2young2retire music makers out there. Interested? Dust off that piano that's been sitting in the corner since the kids moved away. It's the best instrument on which to begin, say the experts. And if you'd like some tips on self-publishing, which this author did for Keeping The Beat, click on www.2young2retire.com/adakahn.htm MEDIA WATCH *Our contest got some good local pickup after the Associated Press did a story about it for their wire service. 2young2retire was featured in the Bergen Record, Jersey Journal, the Trenton Times and others. We were interviewed by News 12 New Jersey airing all evening on September 15; Foxonline for the Etc. Files. Fox reporter Michael Park picked up the story on National Public Radio driving into work. *Feel under served by Big Media and Madison Avenue? Anabel Kligerman, vice president of the Grandparent Poll does. Here's how she objected to the dropping of Rambling With Gambling by WOR-AM. "Even if some people over 50 are less likely to change the brands they use, tens of millions of these same people spend many billions of dollars on their grandchildren, including buying new things and new brands that the grandparents never use themselves." Right on. *John Lennon's "In My Life" was named the greatest song ever written by 20 famous songwriters (Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, and Hal David among them) We are big Lennon fans around here, but whoa! What about "If I Loved You" by Rogers and Hammerstein? Didn't even get a mention. Other in the top ten: "Satisfaction" (Rolling Stones); "Over the Rainbow" (performed by Judy Garland); "Here There and Everywhere" (The Beatles); "Tracks of My Tears" (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles); "The Times They Are A-Changin;" (Bob Dylan). If your favorite isn't here, sent it to me, marika@2young2retire.com. Let's make some (sound) waves. *Help us out: were you aware that Grandparents Day was September 10? It was news to us grandparents. Do you care? How should such a day be celebrated? Give us your ideas: howard@2young2retire.com *We're still working on getting the USAToday "Hot Sites" designation. In the meantime, here are a few of our Cool Sites for you to check out: Hearts of Space, www.hos.com, the internet home of Stephen Hill's wonderful compilation of music for meditation and other spirit-seeking pursuits. You'll find the public radio play list here, as well as music you can order. Bo and Sita Lozoff's Human Kindness Foundation, www.humankindness.org An alternative view of life on the planet well worth a visit. The Lozoffs are best known for their Prison Ashram project which introduced yoga and meditation to the incarcerated.
Foodies, click on www.sallysplace.com You'll know why when you get there.
POTPOURRI *Got some great new True Stories for you to check out.
Mel Holson is an expert in succession planning for family businesses and the current True Story of the Week. Read about him in www.2young2retire.com/melholson.htm Richard Koca, founder of Stand Up For Kids is looking for volunteers and money for his terrific organization, www.2young2retire.com/richkoca.htm If you've dreamed about being an extra or breaking into the movies, click on costumer Carol Lupo's story www.2young2retire.com/carollupo.htm *Love poetry? Live in or near New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania? Make a bee-line to the Eighth Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Festival at Waterloo Village, September 21-24, 2000. More information from www.grdodge.org Catch you there, maybe.
*Americans are wealthier in 2000, a PaineWebber/Gallup poll showed, but most valued their time more than the extra money. Sixty percent of the 1,000 surveyed nationwide said they planned to work in retirement, for the enjoyment or challenge, not the money. From our visitors: 2young2retire.com is a wonderful, contemporary mantra for legions of people who are finding themselves as pioneers in a yet uncharted frontier"My first retirement" will quite likely soon be replaced by "my second and third retirements!" Anyone looking for interesting ideas, dynamic possibilities and stimulating suggestions for their next foray into living life to the fullest, need not look further than 2young2retire. I fully expect that in another ten years you will have extended all of the options for those of us who decided to "stop living at work and start working at living."
CF, Louisville, KY I'm just interested in the concept of obsolescence not being built into humans.
Name Withheld I think this site can help me transition out of big corporate life, into a home based business. The "True Stories" section has already given me some ideas. My goal is to earn enough to fund my life while preserving my investments. Then die young as late as I can.
DM, Zip 75001 Until next time, enjoy this season of mellow fruitfulness, you renaissance folks out there!
|
