Frank's Appointment Book
Frank is always in motion. He's my next-door neighbor and sometimes weekend golfing partner. Frank retired in his late 50s and then, he says, he really got busy.
Frank left a company that made fabricated steel products. After the company founder died, his son took over and ran the company out of business. Frank jumped ship before the company folded, but he says he couldn't find another job. Millie, Frank's wife, has a good job, and between what she earns and what they've invested, Frank says they're living comfortably.
What I really admire about Frank is that while he may have quit working, he never quit having something to do. He's up and out of the house at sun-up walking his dog. He has errands to run. He plays golf two or three mornings a week. He is a school volunteer one day a week. And he's participated in one of those Chamber of Commerce small business advisory groups.
I used to kid Frank about the appointment book he has. It was always in his shirt pocket and any time I saw Frank and wanted to make a golf date, he pulled out the appointment book. One day, I made some smart remark about the book and Frank becoming an old duffer and losing his memory.
"No," he said, "my memory's fine. The day I don't have things to do is the day I start to die." I've never kidded Frank about his book again.
When you retire, either by choice or by chance, what do you plan to do? Do you have enough to keep you busy? Would not having a job be a blow to your feeling of self-worth?
The above stories are composites developed from ThirdAgers' thoughts about important midlife issues. We often see these concerns and emotions expressed in online forums and chats, focus groups, advisory panels, and interviews. We'd like you to contribute, anonymously or not, your stories for possible inclusion in future Heartbeats.
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