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“Let’s have fun!” I have been told that this is the mission statement for Disney World. And having fun is one of the many fantasies and expectations we have about life after retirement.
In my family, the embodiment of that “have fun” mandate was our retired Aunt Hannah. Whether playing bridge, baking her coveted squares of chocolate and pecans, or inviting one of her nieces or nephews to see the latest Broadway play, Aunt Hannah would smile and say, “When did I have time to work?” . In fact, it became the family joke that before we could plan any large family events, we would always have to check Aunt Hannah’s social calendar first! She became the poster child for “how to have fun and not get bored in retirement!”
Webster defines “fun” as “enjoyment or “fun.” Well, that’s all well and good. But really, one person’s idea of ​​”fun” may be anathema to another. you find you own self “fun recipe” and determine the magical ingredients that mix together to form you perfect and fun formula.
Let’s start with that secret wish you’ve always had about something would you like to try? Your fun could start there. then you could go to somewhere you’ve always wanted to explore. Gold someone who you emulate in private and would even be amazed to experience, or even meet, in person! It’s yours something square dance, and yours somewhere Nepal? It’s yours someone Prince Harry or Willie Nelson or the Dalai Lama?
An important ingredient to your own version of fun is your natural gifts. Now be realistic. If you dated a tree on your first (and only) ski trip (and on the “kids slope”!)… If you fell off your horse during your first riding lesson… If the lifeguard had to jump into the pool to pull you out of the shallows. .. So these can be activities that are fun for others, but not for you. And you should probably reconsider adding them to your own list of fun things for the future.
Reading is my idea of ​​fun. Also, I really enjoy writing, traveling, learning and listening to music of all kinds. But riding a Segway will always be on my list of ways to make myself completely miserable, right up there with rock climbing and golf.
What about your personality? If you know in your heart of hearts that you’re a bit of a loner, that you’re afraid to walk into a room with strangers, that you usually run away from a cocktail party at the first opportunity, and that the very words “group” or “club” will provoke a fit of anxiety, you may be happier alone at home with a glass of wine and a movie, or playing Words With Friends, or playing Sudoku. If this sounds familiar, you might want to resist any initial urge to organize a march on Washington in support of the latest trending social cause, or an annual trip abroad with your book club.
A word of warning… This is not to say that you shouldn’t try new things or that you shouldn’t venture out of your comfort zone. Instead, acknowledge that it is now you time — the time for you to truly identify what gives you pleasure, what amuses you, what you consider to be fun.
Whatever it is, accept it with abandon. Dance with him like no one is watching. And do it often.