What's Next?

hit you in the ass on the way out. Did I really say that? Shame on me. I must be channeling my Daddy. My first year of retirement has--in  major way--demonstrated the concept of paradox of my life. As am introvert, I planned to have a quiet, meditative retirement filled with reading, writing, study, learning, and exploration of new intellectual ideals. What I got was not that. I got lots of joy, exhaustion, grief, love, pounds, and--did I say it already--exhaustion? Although I am an introvert, I am also a grandmother. I never realized how much I would want to care for and influence the lives of the three youngsters my daughter and son-in-law gave me. Each child is a beautifully growing mind and body, and I can't help but want to spend time with them and nurture their growth. That was a great ideal when they were 2,4, and 5. They are now 4, 6, and 7, and I cannot run fast enough to keep up with them! I want to be part of their lives, but to do that I am going to have to become m...

In case you don't know me very well, let me be specific: I voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election. She was a true reflection of me and my educational and workplace experiences, and she had enough chutzpah (way more than me) to reach the highest levels of her chosen profession: public service. I identified with her in so many ways that I really believed she would be the best president for me, and by extension, the rest of the nation. Now I suspect that Hillary, like me, is enjoying retirement. She's probably baby-sitting her grandchildren and trying not to listen to the political reality offered up daily in the national media. Our advances in race relations, immigration management, and health care are about to be reversed, and judging by the rise in hate crimes, we aren't as nice a country as we used to be. But that really doesn't matter, because the political reality is that we are now about to be focused on trade policy, de-regulation of Wall Str...

I can't believe it's been 11 months since I blogged. I can barely call myself a writer any more. But then, I am retired. What is retirement? I call it chaos mixed with freedom, a special blend that gave this year its special flavor. Being retired offers time for everything that really matters, like my grandchildren, my extended family, and my dear friends. I was available to help keep my grands--three, five, and seven--occupied during summer vacation, long weekends, parental trips (Puerto Rico this year!). I watched them grow steadily into their next phases, marveling at each one's special graces. When my Uncle Gordon died this summer, I was there to be with his wife and children, to help with his memorial, and to share some great memories. I took two trips with friends this year, one to share my hometown, and one to share a great city, and I am looking forward to more of the same. Perhaps the most important thing I did this year I did in January, just as soon as Geor...