The most common question people ask me about retirement is… “Aren't you bored?” It’s a fair question, I was obsessed about it myself when I was deciding whether to retire. Retirement has made it possible to concentrate on all the things we never had time for: museums, galleries, reading, movies and all the other wonderful sights and sounds we were never even aware of before. We are even taking courses at NYU (in World History and Movies) and looking at opportunities to volunteer (Chris at the YMCA).
However, while I think I can be described as “boredom-avoidance obsessed”, what interests me may not interest others. My interests are much more “city” than “country. This got me thinking about all the things I do to “keep busy”. Maybe some of them will sound familiar to others (maybe not, and maybe I’m weirder than I thought!).
- First, I hate walking in the woods. It’s not the walking. There are no people or stores. After the first ten minutes its boring. One bush or squirrel looks pretty much like any other. In my opinion, beautiful vistas are best seen from a car (preferably moving).
- I do love walking in the city. Preferably New York or Paris, but even Great Barrington . There are shops and people of all sorts. It’s a Winter Wonderland! We walk a mile or two every day in the city and I’m never bored. Walking with Christina is even better – she sees things I would never notice. It’s like going to a brand new place every time.
- I also hate exercising. That 35 minutes on the bike is an eternity. Watching TV doesn’t help because there are so many commercials. Thank god for Books-On-Tape (or CDs) and public radio.
- I cannot go to the bathroom without something to read. The more urgent the need, the more urgent the need for something to read. I have already read every medicine, lotion and shampoo bottle. I may be the only person to know the proper way to wash and condition your hair. I also cannot eat alone without a book or paper. That’s why I rarely eat out when Chris is away.
- I drive Chris crazy by always having the radio (or TV) on when I am home. I need at least two, preferably three things going on at once to make sure I always have a backup if my attention wanders. This drives Chris crazy. She frequently runs away to another room to be able to concentrate on one thing. It may also be driving me crazy. I’ve been working on turning everything off and just sitting and thinking. I’ve made some progress but I have a long way to go. In the meantime I am reading 4 or 5 books a week and doing crossword puzzles.
