A New Beginning

RETIREMENT should not be interpreted as meaning that a person is ready for the rocking chair. Some might have us believe that after we retire the appropriate image we should have of ourselves is that we are now officially "out to pasture," or "on the shelf." The idea behind this kind of thinking is that retirees can no longer be active, creative, or productive people. Quite the contrary is true! Retirement is not an ending, but rather a new beginning.

While some folks dread the idea of retirement, many of us who have worked perhaps 40 years or longer now enjoy our freedom from structured and regimented lives on the job. Even in retirement, of course, there are still some necessities. We must sleep and eat in order to stay alive and healthy. We also need to do whatever it takes to make ourselves presentable to those around us. And, there are a few things we ought to do to keep ourselves - or our spouse - happy. Therefore, some obligations continue. However, retirement gives us a great gift: more leisure than we have had since early childhood. As retirees, the largest percentage of our time will be totally free, and we can choose how we spend it.

In addition to having more time to do some of the things we enjoyed during our working life, retirement offers us the opportunity to learn new activities and new hobbies. For example, some of the finest works of art, and some of the best literature in history, were produced by individuals well into their retirement years. Opportunities for creativity are plentiful in retirement.

Retirement should be more than merely the stopping of work. It should be a new focus on more meaningful or important things. Retirement should be more than just rest or relaxation. It should mean going from something in the past, and moving to something new for the present and the future. Perhaps we need to think of retirement as an opportunity to re-charge our batteries, and to equip ourselves for an exciting new kind of productivity.

Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that retirement allows us time to meet and know ourselves, and to strengthen relationships with God, family, friends, and others in the community. Like others before us, in retirement we can discover the joys of a new beginning.

Eating Out Means Happy Times

ENGAGING in an activity which we - as human beings - must do in order to survive, can also be a purely delightful experience! And, oftentimes when we do it in a place other than our own homes, it seems even better. In fact, eating out usually means happy times for most people.

Our physical bodies must, of course, have nourishment to stay alive and healthy. However, eating is seldom an unpleasant chore. Probably the majority of us find ourselves consuming three meals a day - with possibly an extra snack or two in addition!

For years on end, people have been having their noontime meals away from home. Children and youth eat lunch at school during school terms; many working adults eat lunch at their place of employment or at least nearby. In such situations, it's a matter of time, convenience, or perhaps policy. However, in years past, most people ate breakfast and their evening meals at home. Now, even this trend is undergoing some change.

Going out for dinner has now become much more commonplace for many single adults, couples, and families. Special occasions - such as birthdays or anniversaries - provide the reason for many to celebrate by enjoying an evening meal away from home. Holidays also seem to offer an extra enticement for many to schedule dinner at a good restaurant.

Eating out can become a wholesome recreation activity and a joyful leisure experience. Many enjoy the hunt for new places to dine. Discovering new cafes, restaurants, or "off-the-beaten-path" eating establishments can become a great deal of fun - and something to tell colleagues or neighbors about.

Getting together with friends to enjoy dinner, conversation, and laughter can turn an ordinary week night into an extraordinary highlight of the week. Good food, good stories, and good fellowship mix well to provide happy times for everyone involved!
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-- In the photo above, friends from Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, and Missouri are enjoying eating out at a restaurant in Destin, Florida.