Have you had your epiphany?

~ henryhenrycollins

Epiphany. A sudden revelation or insight into the nature, essence or meaning of something.

Do you know what retirement could mean for you, or are you still stuck with: Stopping work, looking after the children, and the children’s children, routine household and garden chores, obligations to your old workplace, membership of irrelevant committees, returning to the same cafes and holiday venues, cooking the same meals, reading the same newspapers, and watching the same television programs?

It’s time for your epiphany! It’s time to realise what a great life is ahead if you are prepared to let go of the old life and welcome the new. Replace the dreary word retirement with better words starting with re-, such as revive, renew, refresh, rediscover, relearn and regain your vitality and zest for life. Here are some suggestions:

  • Learn to wind-surf, kite surf, scuba dive, abseil, para-glide and/or sky-dive
  • Train to run marathons
  • Swap your family car for a 4WD and take off into the outback
  • Rent out the family home, buy a caravan and become a grey nomad
  • Enrol in a course in Art, Drama, Dance, Yoga, Photography, Creative Writing, a foreign language, Exotic cookery, Singing or Public speaking.
  • Play that musical instrument again. Join a choir
  • Coach a student, mentor a disadvantaged youth, help an immigrant learn English, read to schoolchildren, open a Mens’ Shed
  • Read the classic books and poetry you avoided at school
  • Enrol for an undergraduate or higher degree
  • Volunteer to help in a hospital, retirement home, library, museum, annual conference or exhibition
  • Learn and volunteer in First Aid
  • Join U3A (University of the Third Age). There are classes in a wide variety of subjects for a single annual fee
  • Join a bush-walking club. Learn to identify plants and animals
  • Start a collection – postage stamps, shells, rare books, old wood-working tools, pressed flowers
  • Help others to their epiphany!
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Published by henryhenrycollins

Born 1935, Bristol, UK. Educated at St Brendans College and University of Bristol. Veterinary practice in Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire and New Zealand. Taught at Massey University, NZ and University of Sydney, Australia. Retired 2005. Now a writer of books, poetry and songs. U3A teacher of courses: Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, How to Retire Disgracefully, Music for Fun, Mentoring and Looking after your Colon. Now living in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia.

One thought on “Have you had your epiphany?”

  1. One of the hidden creepers that lurk in the shadows of retirement is depression. Its not appreciated that depression comes in many different shades, and we have words to keep the label in the shadows. Like “moody” or “low” and many others, they can be signs of underlying health issues, and dare I say, mental health issues. These are not dirty words. The positve ideas you outline in this post are also serious strategies to keep you mentally healthy.

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