I must confess. I was worried when I retired. Would I have enough to do? Could I keep busy?
Well, I needn't have been concerned. I was 78 years old - many years beyond the normal retirement age. I really didn't want to retire and still loved my work and my activities. But, health issues made the decision for me and retire I did.
I'm not bored. I'm not having withdrawal symptoms. I'm not finding too much time on my hands. In fact, I'm busy and happy. I decided to keep busy and ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
I don't miss the early morning breakfast meetings. For over 25 years I had a breakfast and lunch meeting practically every day. I then had three or four evening dinner meetings each week. Those make for LONG days. Now, I enjoy lingering over my morning paper and doing the daily crossword puzzles before I venture into the shower.
I know too many friends who retire, go home and die. Life is full and satisfying if you decide to make it so. A positive life and an enthusiastic outlook helps a great deal.
I needn't worry about keeping busy this summer. I have many family events and activities on the agenda. Three grandchildren all graduate from college this season. Kate Van Wagoner from the University of Utah; Matthew Van Wagoner from Westminster College and Olivia Diederich from Brigham Young University.
I have two Great Grandchildren expected this summer. Baby boys for both Oliver and Lisa Dibblee and to Beau and Sarah Boren. This will make five great grandchildren for me and Joyce.
I have two weddings this summer for grandchildren. Emma Dahlstrom and Steve Panos will wed in August and Olivia Diederich and Wil Gochner.
The Ball Family, (The Thundering Herd) is expanding! There will be 31 of us after the weddings and births. Wow. It's amazing how two young kids 59 years ago got married and now their posterity is huge. What a blessing.
I look forward to new experiences and trips. I will not venture out of the country any more. Travel is just hard work and the days of me traveling across oceans and sitting in an airplane for 20 hours are over. We will go to Las Vegas in July for our anniversary. We will go to Snowmass,, Colorado in July for the Utah State Bar conventions. Trips to Scottsdale, Arizona and San Francisco are in the planning stages. Notice that these trips are less than two hour in the air?
And, we look forward to our spending three months in the desert and avoiding the Utah winters. We will arrive in Palm Desert right after Christmas and come home in early April.
Busy? Yes. I am. It's a good kind of busy. No worry or pressure.
My life is good. Yep. The Golden Years can be golden.
