Like most of you, I wonder where 2025 went. The years seem to slip away quicker as I age. I am trying to savor every single day. Every breath. Every hug. Every smile. May the new year hold health, contentment, lots of laughter, play and fun adventures for you. Happy New Year!
Our little “hamlet” town has been ambushed by sadness. I try not to write about the constant sad events that occur. There is enough of that on the internet, but this recent crisis hit our little town hard. For those of you that are not aware, three of our local firefighters were shot when responding to a brush fire Sunday afternoon. It is believed that the fire was set intentionally, and they were ambushed with gunshot when they arrived to put it out. Two of the firefighters died and the other is in stable condition after surgery. Our hearts are breaking for our community and particularly the victims’ families of this tragic incident.
Our little city is tucked away in North Idaho. When I grew up here over 50 years ago, it was a very small town of approximately 20,000 people. It would take twice as long to make a trip to the grocery store or post office because you would always bump into someone you knew. I remember waiting impatiently as my mom chatted with the bank teller, asking about her kids.
Years ago, my dad owned a gas station on main street. He would visit with his regular customers while pumping their gas or checking under their car hood for an engine noise. When the 3rd of July rolled around, our community would have a Kiddie’s Parade where children could dress up, put streamers on their bikes, and proudly go down that very same main street soaking up the applause from proud parents and neighbors. That was just the lead up to the big parade on July 4th, complete with marching bands and elaborate floats. The evening of July 4th we would all load up in the station wagon with our blankets and lawn chairs and head to the city park to “ooh and aah” at the fireworks display over the lake. It never occurred to us that someone might be lurking with a gun in the crowd.
Time pummels us forward and I grew up, got married and moved away for about 20 years. Then Mr. U and I decided we wanted to finish raising our kids in the little town that I grew up in. It was closer to extended family, there were a couple great ski mountains close by and lots of lakes to play in during the summer months. But in the meantime, the beauty of this little town was discovered. The population grew… a lot. The small motel on main street became a high-rise hotel and it morphed into a tourist destination. Now I seldom run into someone I know at the grocery store or post office.
Despite its growth, our little chunk of paradise maintains much of its small-town atmosphere. It is not immune to political strife and disagreements, but for the most part it is a quiet place. So, when the tragic incident occurred on Canfield Mountain right outside of town, we were shocked. I have a friend that lives at the base of this mountain that is so popular to hike and mountain bike on. How can tragedy occur at this beautiful piece of nature?
Just when you dry your eyes from hearing about such a devastating situation, they are moist again by the community response. If there is any beauty that can come from the ashes of this event, it is how our community has come out in support of our first responders. It is how the United States, with all of its’ struggles right now, comes together after a tragedy. They show up with love, support, pocketbooks, food, and prayers. People come through. Love arises through the ashes of tragedy.
The bodies of the firefighters that lost their lives in this horrific incident, had to be transported about 40 miles. The community solemnly lined the streets and freeway overpasses, waving flags and putting hands on their hearts as the motorcade of police and fire vehicles drove through with their lights on. We will remember forever.
So, as we have our BBQ’s and light our sparklers this 4th of July, let us take a moment of silence. Let us take time to appreciate and remember those that protect us. Thank you to all of the military, police, fire fighters and health care providers that work every day to take care of us and keep us safe. We salute you.
(Note: I did not take the feature photo. It has been floating around on IG and I do not know who to credit for it. If anyone knows where it originated, please let me know and I will credit it accordingly.)
The turkey is stuffed and in the oven. The table is set, and the football game is on. When the kids were little, I always placed three kernels of Indian corn on each plate. Before we ate, we went around the table and shared three things we were thankful for the past year. While they rolled their eyes when they sat down and saw the three little corn kernels sitting between them and the feast, I think they also appreciated it. One of the first Thanksgivings that son #1 was away from home and cooking himself, he sent me a picture of one of their plates with three corn kernels on it. It is the little things that make a mother heart stop.
Family was always at the top of everyone’s list. So, in keeping with the corn kernel tradition, I am sharing three things I am thankful for this year.
So happy Thanksgiving to you dear reader. And a belated happy Thanksgiving to those of you in Canada who celebrated last month. I am grateful that you are willing to take some of your precious time to read my humble little blog and share comments. Have a wonderful day enjoying friends, family and lots of nap inducing food!
Happy Thanksgiving!
By the time most people retire, they are burned out. Tired of the office politics, tired of answering to someone else, and tired of not having enough time to do what they like. Once they have met that golden retirement number, they are more than ready to leave the workforce. Others are forced into an early retirement due to downsizing, or retirement packages that are too tempting to pass up. Either way, they are out the office door and abruptly land in a whole new lifestyle labeled… retirement. Not unlike Alice in Wonderland who found herself in an unfamiliar world, the retirement lifestyle is unfamiliar and requires a huge adjustment, particularly if you enjoyed your work.
Reverse retirement is a new term for people that have retired and then decided to return to work. After the euphoria of retirement freedom wears off, many people wonder, what next? Are they still relevant? They miss the comradery, socialization and gratification that is built into the workday. If there are so many advantages to work, why even retire? Or better yet, why not return to work on your own terms? Why not enjoy the best of both worlds – work & retirement? The two terms do not need to be mutually exclusive. I think it depends on why you work and how much. So maybe we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. What if we could take the better parts of work and leave the rest? What if it did not even feel like work anymore? What if we could do reverse retirement?
I know several retirees who have found the perfect blend of part-time work in retirement. I have a friend that teaches a couple on-line college courses, another that substitutes teaches and one that was a school bus driver. My good friend’s husband is a chef, and he still fills in one day a week. He also teaches a CPR course once a month. I know several other retirees that sell their artwork. My dad continued to work part-time in the business he founded until he was in his 90’s. The possibilities are endless.
According to a study by the Federal Reserve Board, one-third of retirees return to work, either full or part-time (New Retirement). Interestingly, the highest and lowest income groups are the two that are the most likely to return to work after retiring. Not a surprise for the lower income group that typically find they need more money to live on in retirement, but why the higher income group that do not need more income to enjoy their retirement? Is retirement not all that it is cracked up to be? If it is not the income, what draws people back to work?
Why do retirees leave the freedom of retirement to return to the grind?
Everyone jokes that Mr. U failed retirement from the beginning. He was a high school principal for over 25 years before retiring. It was a demanding job, but he loved it. However, like all of us, he got tired of the politics, long hours, endless meetings and stress. It really does not benefit you financially to continue to work once you reach the state retirement pension age, so he decided to retire when he reached that golden rule. Within a couple months after he retired, the opportunity arose to be a mentor/administrator at a private school. After doing that for several years, he retired fully. However, he quickly became dissatisfied with full-time retirement. He felt like he had done everything he wanted to in the field of education and did not want to return to it. But he still missed the engagement and satisfaction of working with people.
Step back over 40 years ago when Mr. U drove school bus part-time while going to college. He loved that job and throughout his entire career, he referred to it as the GOAT (greatest of all time) job. He had always envisioned doing something similar to that in retirement. So last winter, after watching one too many crime shows on T.V., he decided to apply for a part-time position driving a commuter van for a high-end resort in our small city. He has been doing it for several months now and loves it! He enjoys the engagement with people, the fun of getting tips and he particularly likes NOT being the boss and decision maker. There are about 15 van drivers, and they laugh because they all look alike: retirees in their 60’s & 70’s with gray hair and goatees.
Mr. U is thoroughly enjoying his reverse retirement job. It utilizes his talent with people, and he only works 2-3 days/week. He still has to plan ahead to request time off, but the drivers are not limited to a certain number of vacation days per year. A couple of the drivers even take the winter months off to fly south. As long as they request the time off at least a week ahead, they always honor the request. This is wise if you are tapping into the retirement workforce pool.
Most people don’t want to step out of life when they retire. We want to stay engaged, active and socially connected. It is human nature. I think a lot more retirees would reverse retirement and work part-time if they could find a job that they enjoyed and that blended well with their life. It is the commitment of a schedule, limited vacation days and having to request time off that causes most of us to choose not to work. It is one reason many retirees volunteer instead of doing paid employment. Perhaps companies would be wise to tap into this underused employee pool and find unique ways to attract retirees. To borrow an old work term, reverse retirement could be a win/win.
The beauty of it is, in retirement, we get to decide if we want to work. That is, assuming you planned your finances well. Would I still work part-time if the right position presented itself? It is unlikely, as I don’t feel like I have enough time as it is, but never say never. Would you?
We all need a break from the routine and commitments of life, even in retirement. Similar to how kids and parents look forward to the freedom that summer break brings – liberation from the schedule constraints of school and the extracurricular activities. I have been writing a blog post every week for the past two years. The very first post was published in July 2022 with the title What next? I write to capture life in retirement, hopefully inspire others on this journey and to remind myself of the things I need to hear. It has been a pleasure, but it has also been a commitment. Granted, just a commitment I made to myself that I enjoy, but a commitment none the less.
I admire bloggers who have been writing for years. Writing a post and coordinating photos to go with it takes a lot of time. I love doing it, but sometimes it takes away from living the very retirement life that I planned on. So, I am giving myself a “blogcation,” for the month of August. It will allow me some extra time to get a few projects done that I have been putting off, enjoy some play time and a chance to reprioritize how I want to spend these precious retirement years.
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Happy summer break my friends!
