One thing that immediately changes in retirement is your circle of friends.   Most people do not discern between co-workers and friends, since you are most in contact with those who work with you.  These are the people you see every weekday and who share your frustrations and successes on the job. Once you pack up your desk, you aren’t going to see them as often.  Plus, they are still working and won’t necessarily have time for you during those hours.  Lunches and Happy Hours are the best way to stay in touch with these folks in the “eight-to-five” world.

It’s important to try new activities once you retire.  It’s the only way to find new acquaintances,  who most likely share your retirement schedule.  Volunteering, art or craft classes, exercise groups, collector or book clubs, and classroom monitoring are several examples of ways to meet new friends. You can also re-engage with high school and/or college friends as I discussed in an earlier post.  These are people that are the same age and are making a similar adjustment into retirement – find them on social media.   It’s also important in your early 60’s to start this process of finding new interests so you have a natural transition into filling the time that was previously occupied by work.

I love to read and watch documentaries.  I also enjoy sports and have always liked the fact that they start early on West Coast television.  It’s now also baseball season and I’ve rekindled an interest in baseball card collecting.  In the process, I’ve made some new friends and learned some history on the game.  The Cubs winning the World Series also helped me gain more interest in the sport.  You will see me, on occasion, posting some of my favorite baseball stories about players and historical moments.  It’s all part of keeping my mind occupied on a daily basis.  Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than traveling!

The key to retirement is keeping engaged with people and interests.  There is no need to fear becoming isolated just because you’re not going to work every day.  We all have to “work” at making new friends and finding new interests, just as we have our entire lives.  I know it sounds easier than it is, but we can do it!

I like to think of retirement in terms of baseball.  I’m now in the seventh inning stretch, with the eighth and ninth inning ahead, and hopefully I’ll get to play extra innings!  I’ve struck out a few times in life, but have made some great plays.  I doubt that I get in the “Hall of Fame,” but there’s still a chance! I’ve played a number of different positions on the field and tried to be a Manager, but most importantly I’ve enjoyed my teammates along the way. Plus, as Met’s Coach and Yankee Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra, supposedly said about the 1973 Pennant Race: “it ain’t over till it’s over.”