Today is tattoo day for me. I’m getting my second tattoo and I’m nervous and excited. You might find it unexpected that a retired person should start getting tattoos. You might criticize me for getting one. Avoiding such criticism has often caused me to choose not to do something that I might otherwise have enjoyed.… Continue reading Growing Into A New Skin
Category: Reframe Your Thinking
Pet Lessons
I never owned a cat or a dog growing up. Pets were viewed as messy, expensive, a source of allergies, and when you want to go on vacation, inconvenient. But when we moved into our home years ago, I felt like there was a presence missing in the house. I was not wrong. Calmness On… Continue reading Pet Lessons
Travel Because You Can
One of the first things people mentioned when I announcement my retirement was travel. “You’ll be able to travel and take advantage of the lower rates off-season,” they said. (As a teacher, we have to travel during peak times when it’s most expensive and most crowded.) I’ve done a fair bit of travelling over the… Continue reading Travel Because You Can
Move It
“Move it or Lose it” is a phrase you may have heard connected to getting exercise. It automatically creates that “ugh” response in me. I know that moving is important for my wellbeing but I also know that we never “lose it” forever. It’s always possible to re-build. Maintaining My Range Of Motion. It is… Continue reading Move It
Thinking The Worst
There’s a storm coming and it’s one of the ever-increasing things that trigger an emotional response of dread in me. What if we lose power like we did during the ice storm? The older I get, the number of events that cause me to react this way grows. It makes sense. I have more lived… Continue reading Thinking The Worst
Am I Stuck?
I’m a firm believer in leaning into new skills or ideas. Slowly start to adopt them bit by bit until you arrive. Be consistent and persistent and you will get there eventually (wherever there is). But there is a time in the journey when you wonder if you’re making any progress at all. I’m finding… Continue reading Am I Stuck?
Sleeping Well
I tell myself that I had a bad night’s sleep when I wake up a few times in the night. I think of a “good sleep” as going to bed and not waking until morning. When I tell myself I didn’t sleep well, I start my day feeling deprived, and depleted. I wonder if I’ll… Continue reading Sleeping Well
Retired, and now what? 