Why retire?

For me, retirement has been a huge adjustment. We all talk about it, plan for it, look forward to it and then BLAM! It happens. I didn't expect to do it so early but circumstances and my health made that decision for me. When I retired from my school job I already had a job to step in to. Even better than that, the job was in the same town where I'd taught all those years so I didn't have to learn much of anything new. The kids I had known at the high school were now the adults I served at the public library. I had gone full circle and it was so satisfying. Teachers can't always know what influence they have on the lives they touch but I had the rare privilege of seeing the end product in many cases.

The first six months of 2006 did me in. I had surgery in January, surgery in February, and throat dilation in March. My speech and my ability to swallow were seriously compromised. Not being able to swallow led to weight loss and that contributed to fatigue and depression. My sister bought me a Magic Bullet blender and I drank gallons of Boost laced with bananas and any other fruit I could think of. Solid food was pretty much out of the question. I choked so easily that I kept everyone on edge. Even with all this, I had a trip planned to Boston in March and I was determined to go; another selfish move. A more considerate person would have stayed home. As always the ladies I traveled with were great. We'd been down similar roads and they knew I would work hard not to hold anyone back. I was able to keep up for the most part but meals were trying. One of the women had to do a Heimlich maneuver in the food court of a big Boston mall but we were prepared for that eventuality and we pulled it off without any hysteria. The secret is not to panic and for me, not to eat rice.

By July of 2006 I was exhausted. I had not given myself time to recover from the operations I had had earlier in the year and I paid for it. Everyone saw it coming but me. Have I mentioned that I'm hard headed? The pure hard truth of it is that my health has improved drastically. My speech is intelligible and I can swallow solid food. I've gained a little weight and I have a better attitude. I volunteer at a local botanical garden and I go to the YMCA for some much needed exercise. I spend lots of time with my family and I'm free to run errands in the daytime. I can say that I feel myself adjusting but I can also say, it hasn't been easy.