Thinking as your friend does it can be difficult to find purpose some times. I retired from NHDOT after 30 years, it was 2006. Worked at the State Forest Nursery up until this summer...the job was physically demanding. So now "finding purpose" can be challenging.
I can relate to that. I used to teach (still do, but on the community level occasionally.) When I decided not to go back to the college I thought, "Who am I if I am not a teacher? Then I had a long talk (several really) with myself about defining others and myself by our jobs. I don't see others as their jobs. I don't value others because of their jobs. So why was I doing that to myself? Now I call my retirement "me time". I am on me time now. And I am loving it. I have found keeping a journal daily is a great way of settling into myself and my life each day. A good way of pointing myself in the right direction each day. I highly recommend it.
We need more smiles in our lives. And we need to make people smile! It takes so little effort, costs nothing, but can change the day! One thing I try to do when I am in the public, is find something I like about a stranger. Usually it is their jewelry or hair or sweater or hat... And I tell them I like it. Sometimes short conversations happen. Sometimes just smiles. I have watched some pretty lonely faces turn into suns doing this.... It helps balance out the "Us VS Them" thing going on in our culture now . It turns us into just people with different hats and jewelry and hairstyles to admire.
Thinking as your friend does it can be difficult to find purpose some times. I retired from NHDOT after 30 years, it was 2006. Worked at the State Forest Nursery up until this summer...the job was physically demanding. So now "finding purpose" can be challenging.
I can relate to that. I used to teach (still do, but on the community level occasionally.) When I decided not to go back to the college I thought, "Who am I if I am not a teacher? Then I had a long talk (several really) with myself about defining others and myself by our jobs. I don't see others as their jobs. I don't value others because of their jobs. So why was I doing that to myself? Now I call my retirement "me time". I am on me time now. And I am loving it. I have found keeping a journal daily is a great way of settling into myself and my life each day. A good way of pointing myself in the right direction each day. I highly recommend it.
Love this, from one clown to another! 🤡 I embrace Bozo, not Bezos!
We need more smiles in our lives. And we need to make people smile! It takes so little effort, costs nothing, but can change the day! One thing I try to do when I am in the public, is find something I like about a stranger. Usually it is their jewelry or hair or sweater or hat... And I tell them I like it. Sometimes short conversations happen. Sometimes just smiles. I have watched some pretty lonely faces turn into suns doing this.... It helps balance out the "Us VS Them" thing going on in our culture now . It turns us into just people with different hats and jewelry and hairstyles to admire.
Thanks for bringing up this worthy subject Dan.
Thanks for sharing. Little kindnesses can make a big difference.