What do I do now that I am retired and bored?
By carol
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Well I am 76 and have found plenty to do. Here are some of the things I do.
1. Do some traveling. Some to other states others for day trips to places I have never visited when working. There are always bus tours where you will meet new people.
2. Volunteer at your local hospital or other worthy group.
3. Go to school. There are plenty of courses available through your local town,state and local school. These don't have to be degree rewarding.
4. Join a health club. My health club meets for breakfast every Friday. Good way to meet people in your age bracket.
Start a vegetable or plant garden.
You could also join a senior center. The one where I live has lots of various activities, computer classes, knitting classes, a gym, card clubs, reading clubs, dances, different exercise classes such as line dancing, tai chi, craft club, etc.
As a single mother and working full time I had little time to read. Now that I am retired, my best friend is the public library. I go thorugh about 6 books a week. A library card is free all you have to do is go in and sign up and you get a card. They have books on tape, a treasure trove of different subjects and also you can check out magazines.
Open your local newspaper and see who needs some volunteers. If no one is asking, just call some organizations and see if they would love to have you volunteer. I did that and finally chose just a few organizations.
I also got involved in coupons, am still saving a lot of money. With all the food I can purchase either free or almost free, I donate it to a local food pantry run by a friend. We meet each Monday and I give her the food. She makes me dinner and we spend some nice times together. We've been friends 35 yrs.
I 'm a volunteer at a local school, have an allotment, cycle,read, and I'm starting a latin course at the OU in October. Bored? I don't have the time. Having said that, you have to look for things, they won't come to you. I was scared stiff the first time I went into school but it's so worth it. Please do it now. Do everything you never had time for when you worked. Best of luck.
Start the day by walking the road or street in your community. Take along a plastic shopping bag and pick up any litter you see. The exercise will keep you healthy and give you energy. Keeping the litter picked up will give your self esteem a boost and the neighbors will appreciate it also.
Get a part time job in a place that interest you. If your into crafts, take a job at a Michaels. If your handy get a job at Home Depot. Doesn't matter if your a cashier or stocker, you'll like it.
I am a retired teacher and have never been bored for a second. I read. I work part time at a ski hill in the winter teaching skiing. I do aquasize in the summer and step fitness 3 times a week in the winter. I coffee with the women friends I have made at exercise class. I substitute teach a few days a month. I take a trip a year, if I can. More if I can afford it. I have tea with my mom. I take university art classes and do art. I have season theater tickets in the city, and I visit friends when I go there. I belong to the retired teachers association and go to those activities. I belong to an art group. I serve on the board of an art society. I take art workshops. I curl two afternoons a week in the winter.
What should you do? Take a class. Join the Red Hat Society. Read. Join a group that does something you are interested in, needlepoint, music, art, theater, dancing, singing. Plant a garden. Get some houseplants. Give lessons in your home if you have some sort of talent. Visit the farmers market. Go for walks or long bike rides. Visit people in the hospital or nursing homes. Go to bingo. Take time to visit friends that you didn't have time to visit when you were working. Spend time with your grandchildren. The world is full of things to do now that you have time to do them.
Start the day by prayer and walking. Volunteer and always be thankful you can still do what you can do.
My beloved Grams volunteered at the local Primary. She bowled on a league (she was pretty good, too!) She took sign language classes. She read, she helped students with homework.
She has been gone almost five years now, and I miss her every day.
Maybe you can help in a school's library, or like others have suggested, read at a library. Some bigger hospitals would love it if the kids had someone to read to them, or just keep them company for a few moments. Start a club, like a women's club, single's club (if you are), or some kind of theme...reading, crocheting, or coffee lovers. Meet at your local coffee shop, book store (like Books A Million), or at the park in good weather. How about a book club, or making care packages for our troops with letters of encouragement inside with your Email address?
When school comes back to session, offer in jr/sr high when history comes up to tell what you remember...Are you old enough to remember WWII? Kennedy assassinated? Walk on the moon? Nixon's scandal? Sometimes it makes history come alive if we can talk to someone who was there. I know when my history teacher would talk of his experiences in person about events we could only read about, it made history just seem more interesting.
Another thing you can do is write your genealogy, or at least family history. Did you come from England on the Mayflower, or from Ireland during the potato famine? Did an ancestor help with getting women the vote? How about an outspoken voice in civil rights? How about a famous relative, or one that was quirky, fun, or sacrificed so much or just some interesting facts.
So much you can do. You could also travel, even on day trips. Look up your state's tourist site, see what you can do for low cost or even free.
I hope I helped.
Peace
KS
If you have a special skill, teach at an informal level. I'd love it if someone would help me with my crocheting. I messed up somewhere, but no one near me knows how to crochet.
As for my parents they decided to choose a senior living community www.gardens-springshadows.com/
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