One of the most dangerous things in life is having nothing to do. I bring up the topic because we are in a bit of a waiting period right now.
We have been talking about moving south for several years, but we never found anything that we both liked and could afford near the east coast of Georgia or either coast in Florida. Increased traffic, hurricanes, and the outrageous cost of homeowners insurance were all on our list of negatives.
Then our son and daughter-in-law purchased nine acres in the mountains of northeastern Tennessee. Just before that my cousin who lives in Orlando reminded us of the importance of being near family, especially at or our age. It was a wake-up call. So, we changed our focus to Tennessee to be near our family. We really like the mountains too.
Every move we have made has been a rush deal. This one allows us time to be thoughtful and deliberative about each step, that’s the luxury of being retired.
We cleaned the place out taking a massive load to Goodwill last September. In October we checked out our target area in Tennessee near Cumberland Gap. We did another massive clean-up in February, along with fixing those little things you get used to ignoring. We spruced things and then met with our realtor last week.
Her market study fortunately pointed to an asking price that is considerably more than I was expecting, thanks to recent updates and a tight sellers’ market.
We are waiting until April 11th to put the house on the market so I can do one more lighting show and not have to move existing stock. Also, we wanted to get into spring since it is a better time to sell. Now for about four weeks, we have a lull in the activity.
Patty’s Beadmomma shop is all packed up and my Doo-Dads shop will be packed up after that last show in April. We will put all that in storage and stage that area of the house for showing.
There isn’t much of anything to do around the house.
We have a three to four week-long void, a waiting period before things get busy.
My main activities are household projects, lighting, and writing. I add in exercise, playing with Odie or walking him, and guitar playing. I have some ideas about trying some new things once we get moved, like axe-throwing (really), playing pickle ball, doing advocacy work, and additional writing. However, I am reluctant to start new things now since I won’t be here long.
We are trying to be proactive in this whole moving process and avoid last minute scrambling. This lull will soon pass, even if it seems lengthy now.
When I made a huge career change and was looking for a new job. It was, perhaps, the most frustrating time in my life. I was so passionate about my work that it was my life. I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t get prospective employers to recognize my experience and skills that were transferable. Being in my 50’s and 60’s also hurt my chances. Eventually, I retired and had to re-invent myself. I finally have peace with that.
The point is, “You got to have something to do.”
This is extremely important when you retire. I have known people who floundered in their later years and those who prospered. I have known those who obsessed over the trivial and I have also known those who always had something to do that they enjoyed.
Activity and creativity, both physical and mental, along with meaningful relationships give life meaning. Without it, things become routine, boring, and depressing. We need distraction from our own obsessive thoughts. We need to create and connect. We need to stay curious and engaged. This is beginning to read like an article in the AARP magazine. Yet, it is so true, especially for those of us who are retired.
My void will soon pass. I try to build in a little “voidness” when involved in major projects because it usually gets filled up by unexpected things.
Don’t succumb to the void. Try some things. Do some good. Have some fun.
