Pursuing Lifetime Dreams in Retirement

alvinwoolf

by Sharon Anne Waldrop
Monday, May 7, 2007

For some, retirement may mean that it's time to slow down. But that's not true for everyone.

Recent surveys reveal that retirees are pitching their business cards and silencing their alarm clocks to volunteer, pursue hobbies and go back to school. They are traveling to places they didn't have time to visit when they were working. For some, retirement is a growth opportunity, a time to pick up where they left off before work got in the way of living.

In fact, many retirees are picking up the pace and having a good time of it. \"They have high expectations of something special happening in this next chapter in their lives,\" says Ron Manheimer, Ph.D., executive director of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. \"They know to expect and plan for two or three decades of a life that is probably less centrally focused on work -- but may involve work -- a period when they are looking to achieve more balance.\"

Manheimer says retirement consists of several phases. \"There is going to be an active phase that will be similar to the life they are already leading, being very involved in many activities that require physical and mental capabilities.\"



Shedding the old identity
Remaining active can do wonders for a retiree's identity, which can be a real issue for those leaving the full-time workforce. \"So much of our identity is caught up in our job title, the company that we work for, and our business card,\" says Joan Carter, a certified retirement coach and co-founder of Life Options Institute and http://www.whatsnextinyourlife.com/index.html, an online lifestyle resource for people over 50. \"When people ask you what you do, they ask 'who are you?' After you retire, you have to create a new identity.\"

Many people begin to pursue lifetime dreams in retirement and this becomes their new identity. These dreams can be simple -- take up gourmet cooking, join a book club, learn a new language.

Or they can be complex. For instance, Bruce and Sandie Tanner left Greenville, Ohio, 16 years ago and founded the Tanner Romania Mission in Nicoresti, Romania, which is now home to more than 33 disabled orphaned children. \"The more we give to these handicapped children, the more we get back. We have never regretted our move,\" says Sandie Tanner. \"We love our life and are so happy that we made this decision. It brings fulfillment and reason to our retirement.\"

Giving the gift of time
A recent AARP survey of 60-year-olds reports that 47 percent of respondents want to devote more of their time to volunteering. Donating time can help retirees connect with people who share their interests while helping others.

Sonny Sumampow from Freehold, N.J., was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army before working for Consolidated Edison for 28 years. He now volunteers as chairman of the 82nd Airborne Division Association in Central New Jersey. The group acts as the Color guard at parades, visits hospitalized soldiers, sends packages overseas and sponsors an annual barbecue for families who reside at Fort Dix military reservation.

Going back to school
Retirees are also seizing the opportunity to further their education. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 59,000 Americans over the age of 60 are currently enrolled in colleges and universities.

Take Margaret MacDougal of Harpswell, Maine. MacDougal worked as a clinical social worker and therapist during her career. After retiring in 1997, she volunteered at a museum and returned to school to earn a master's degree in art history at the University of Louisville. She is now working toward a doctorate.

Many retirees don't pursue degrees, but rather take classes in subjects that interest them. Some go to learn a new language or sharpen math skills, whether at a traditional college or online in the comfort of their homes and on their own schedules. Online resources such as http://www.elearners.com/index.html serve as connections to online courses and provide information about grants, scholarships and tax breaks.

Taking hobbies to the next level
An impressive 72 percent of the participants in the AARP survey said they want to spend more time pursuing hobbies and interests. James Lantz of Pembroke, Ga., has loved model trains since he was a young boy. Retirement allowed him to take his hobby to the next level.

\"I have always told myself that when I retire, I am going to have the model railroad that I really want,\" says Lantz. After retiring from forestry in 1989, Lantz and a friend designed a model railroad that measures 30 by 12 feet and is a built-to-scale replica of the small town of Therman, W.Va. \"It's a continual project,\" says Lantz.

Hitting the road
Travel is another way retirees are making the most of their newfound free time. According to a travel profile report published by the Travel Industry Association, short day trips are very popular with older singles and retired adults. This demographic segment is also very likely to visit more than one place while on vacation or take trips of 10 days or longer.

Emery and Connie Nanasy of Lakewood, Calif., are a prime example. Since retiring, they've have traveled to 64 countries in six continents.

John and Sarah Sparks live in Boulder, Colo., where a round-trip drive to the mountains takes less than a day. They stop for breakfast on the road, have lunch at their destination, and discover new restaurants for dinner on the way home. They also enjoy day trips to go antiquing, visit their grandchildren and follow the horse show circuit.

Networking on the Net
A recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project estimates that 70 percent of people aged 50 to 64 use the Internet, but only 33 percent of people over 65 do the same. As baby boomers join the over-65 set, this figure is expected to increase. The Internet is often used to stay in touch with friends -- and make new ones.

Online social networking can help retirees connect with other people who enjoy the same activities. \"After years of watching their kids live their life around activity on popular social networking sites, they are ready to play,\" says Jeff Taylor, founder and CEO of http://www.eons.com/index.html, a social networking Web site for the 50-plus crowd. Among the site's features is \"Six Degrees of Separation,\" where friendships can flourish. It's clear that retirement doesn't have to be a period of down time, unless retirees choose for it to be.

\"Retirement is the age of choice,\" says retirement coach Carter. \"It's an age where we can wake up naturally in the morning and control our own schedules.\"

Copyrighted, Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.