I wasn’t prepared to retire. Which isn’t surprising, I’ve stumbled through life, without any real idea what was next. In many ways being prepared is a real bore, there is no excitement in turning the corner and finding what exactly what you put there. Certainly, I never wanted to open a door and find anything dangerous, or fatal. But surprise and excitement are a joy unto themselves.
“About time.” I said, because I didn’t know what else to say. It’s like someone telling you the lotto ticket you knew was a loser had a $500.00 payout. Thank you just doesn’t seem adequate. But you don’t want to lean too far over and let them know how much you didn’t know, you know?
When July came, and we found ourselves at home, with the alarm turned off. And… What?
There are no guidelines, no apprenticeship program, nothing. It was an empty feeling, lonely, lost and adrift. Habits change in odd ways. I started telling myself what day it was before I got out of bed. I make a cup of coffee when I get up instead of using the “auto brew” feature to have a half of a pot ready when I get up. I eat at mealtimes and hardly ever snack. I take my medicine much more regularly, why not, I don’t have anything better to do.
As a hobby, mostly as a hobby, I’ve started to investigate the various organizations that offer services and benefits to the elderly amongst us, like me.
First, we look at AARP. Kind of appropriate, whether you think alphabetically or chronologically, it was the first “club” I joined. I was in my early fifties. There is no minimum age to join, and I thought it might score me some discounts, or a free coffee. I’d be one of the younger members, and in my fifties, I was always one of the oldest people in almost any group.
We use the discount at hotels, and it has been a bonus, but so far, we’ve forgotten, mostly, to ask if the restaurant has a discount. Though, there is an impressive list, 15% at Denny’s, 20% at Papa John’s, and 10% at several others. We plan to start taking advantage of the savings.
If you are a Walmart shopper, you can save 20% on an annual membership. I’m not a Walmart shopper, the few times I’ve been to Walmart have convinced me it might be suicide. There is an air of indiscriminate Darwinism stalking the narrow, cramped aisles.
We vacationed for a week, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a rural, sparsely populated wilderness, thick, sturdy forests, small lakes, and scattered along the shore of Lake Superior, small towns with hardy people able to survive the rugged winters. We shopped at the Marquette Walmart. It was one of the few grocery stores of any size.
One day, we walked toward the entrance at the same time as a young man. He had his hair cut in a style approaching a mullet, and a neatly trimmed mustache, that draped over the corners of his mouth, he had a few days’ growth of spotty whiskers, sprouting over his cheeks and chin, as if he just didn’t care enough to shave, maybe it was his weekend. He was wearing a red polyester polo shirt with a small bear embroidered on the left breast, and a pair of maroon coaches’ shorts, knee length white socks and black, leather shoes, with corrugated souls. We were on vacation, so we slowed to let him go in ahead of us. He tucked a huge handgun, in a black, canvas holster, into the waistband of his shorts, right between the two back pockets. Even in a town of 21,000 people he felt the need to carry some serious firepower into Walmart. I don’t even own a gun. Consequently, I don’t know what benefits an annual membership provides.
AARP advocates for senior citizens, with a lobbying arm in both houses of congress. They are active in securing funding for Social Security, Medicare, prescription drug prices, and all the other things you need to start worrying about, when you’ve finally lived long enough to retire. Plus, their magazine has articles, advice and recipes, all appropriate for older people.
My advice: Join.
I’m in the process of learning how to establish a Gray Panthers chapter in Central Ohio. So far’ it’s slow going. I’ve managed to “Like” their Facebook page, but that’s about it. Mostly because I’m just not a leader. And, to establish a chapter I’m sure it will take somebody unafraid of responsibility (not me), with strong organizational skills (not me, again), and the ability to unite disparate personalities toward a common goal (not even close). So far, I’ve only managed to “Like” their Facebook page, but if that changes, I’ll let you know.
My advice: Well, I don’t have any.
RetireHub is a site dedicated to providing information about discounts and entertainment to senior citizens. I joined, and was, at first a little bemused. I could never sign in. There was no little button to sign in. Admittedly, I’m new to this whole thing, retirement, trying to be a part of things, so I expected something online, and accessible. But what I got was an email. Two of them, so far. One on Sunday the 7th of July, and one on Friday, July 12th. They have useful information on topics, perhaps not unique to senior citizens, certainly exacerbated by the excess of free time offered by retirement. There are polls, which I haven’t participated in yet, book reviews, and quizzes. It has been, so far, a resource with many unexplored links and opportunities.
My Advice: Sign up, you need to take the time to read the emails, but there is an easy “unsubscribe” option.
My last piece of advice, find a good Hemp gummy source. I use TreHouse. It was a
recommendation from High Times, whose staff had reviewed several sites labs reports. Gummies made from the cannabinoids in hemp help reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and, are excellent pain relievers, and are just a lot of fun, a goofy little stroll down memory lane. Certainly, it should only be an occasional indulgence, but as far as temporary escapes go, it’s a safe bet.
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