[N'awlins Lady]

Originally Posted by Freeda

I used to think that what I did in my legal career was so great that I would be hobbling around in a courtroom with a cane and a little gray bun someday - that's what I remember saying; I just couldn't imagine a life without it; my career so defined me as a person that I couldn't separate myself from it. So I can really understand what you are feeling. What happened for me is that I stumbled onto another interest, wholly unexpectedly, that fascinated me, and because of that I gradually gave up my law practice, so the separation from it was a less 'drastic' step, which is something that I realize isn't as easy with a job. But what I found, and it became even much more evident once we moved to TV, is that there is alot to be said for free, uncommitted, unstructured time (something that was rare during my career); and time to consider and learn about other things. I started seeing myself as very narrow, because I had been so immersed in law and raising children, the only two things I had really focused on for most of my life, that I didn't even realize what else I was missing out on in life.

Maybe for someone who has a job, it might be helpful to just take off a few weeks or months, or as long as you can, rent a home in TV, and totally, deliberately absorb yourself in TV lifestyle. You may be surprised at all there is here - not just 'to do' to fill up your time (I hate the idea of just 'killing' time), but opportunities for learning and evolving as a person. There are so many interesting and talented people here that I feel like in the past 3 years of living here I have grown alot as a person. The clubs program here, for example, gives us the opportunity to learn from the collective knowledge and experience of educated, intelligent people from all over the world and from many different backgrounds. There are many purposeful, self-fulfilling things you can do outside of a job, including joining public service organizations, etc. Then, there is also travel!

Your analogy of 'eating ice cream for every meal' is a good way to describe how I now in retrospect feel that my life was during my career, because the requirements of my work kept life pretty much the same, and didn't allow me to experience alot of change and personal growth, or time to try new things.

Freeda, my hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts. When the time comes for him to retire it will not be "from" something but "to" something. And I can't think of a better place place than The Villages! Lord willing, we hope to join y'all in a couple of years @ the ripe young age of 55!

Trudy