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Episode 214 A Plea for Help
"Do you have any books on Retirement?" I asked. "No. Well, we may have something in the investment or money section", the clerk responded. I have tried this line in several book stores. The eyes of the clerk always shoot to the ceiling. They are thinking. Then they lead me to the financial section and there are two or three books on investing and retirement. That is it.
Other than money and investing are there any other areas of interest concerning retirement? For me, there are lots of them. Life takes on a whole new look when one retires.
When I come into new territory I like to look around, perhaps have a map from someone who has been there before. Someone who knows the lay of the land. I want to know what I am getting myself into. What has worked for you? What hasn't? Well, that is what retirement talk is about.
There doesn't seem to be much help out there. We are having to find out on our own.
This is Retirement Talk. I'm Del Lowery.
This podcast will be a bit different from all of the ones preceding. This one is a plea. A plea for ideas; a plea for questions, a plea for assistance.
When this podcast originated the idea was that we would develop a show that ranged over the entire gamete of retirement concerns. Of course, retirement doesn't reallly have concerns. People do and that is what the podcast is about.
I assumed that I would be able to interview many retired people and record their successes and failures in relationship to life after retirement. Those interviews never happened. Why?
My first task was to educate myself on technology necessary for producing a podcasts. I had to learn what was needed; find it and then learn how to operate it. That took some time.
The next step was to set up a web site. That was another technological task. Believe me when I say that I am not by nature technologically oriented. Luckily, I am always willing to jump into something of which I know nothing. I started looking for information online, in bookstores, and in libraries. I also knew a few people I could ask basic questions. These people have been invaluable.
Let me interject here that this entire podcast is a great example of my own answer to the question: What to do in retirement?" I was interested in radio broadcasting. I was interested in writing and I was interested in people in the community. I started to think of retired people as very much part of my community. I thought the podcast would be a perfect match. At the same time I had other things in my retired life that I was unwilling to give up. The podcast had to fit in and not eliminate other interests.
Setting up a website was not easy. Not for me. I rotated through several computer programs that are designed for this task. I finally took a class in "Dreamweaver" at the local Community College and that is what I now use.
The writing takes several hours each week. I love to write. This is the most enjoyable phase of the process. To sit in a coffee shop with a triple Americano and let myself disappear into a topic is pure fun. At the end of a couple of hours something seems to always remain on the screen that can be presented; presented after another few hours of reading and rewriting.
Other people have joined me in producing podcasts and that has been very gratifying. It is interesting to hear new voices and different ideas. I have perhaps a half-a-dozen other contributors tucked into the more than two hundred episodes. It would be good to have more. But the interviews have been rare.
So...this is my plea: if you have an idea or a story you think might fit well into the retirement talk format please contact me. You know that I love a good story. Especially a good story that is related to retirement. It may be something that happened to you while preparing for retirement or after you retired. It may be something that happened to you many years ago but has come to have new meaning in your retirement years. If you have listened to many of these programs you know that childhood experiences many times serve as a basis for retirement discussions. Feel free.
I want to start calling people who express an interest in telling their story or stories on the program. I want to start including more interviews in the programing. Or if you have ideas for topics that you would like to have discussed on the show please ask. We will try to expand the scope of the program without loosing the personal touch.
This means that for the phone interviews I will have to master the technological challenge of connecting the telephone line to the recording equipment I use and then processing it through the computer. I'm sure this can be done. I just don't have a clue. Perhaps one of you do and can help advise me. Once this is accomplished I intend on calling people and settling in for a broader reach of stories and thoughts as they relate to retirement.
Working together perhaps we can create a treasure trove of ideas for those of us who are wanting to find our way in retirement by sharing experiences and thoughts with others.
My contact information is on the website but for those of you who might be hearing this some other way the email address is: del@retirementtalk.org.
A resource from a listener: Best Free Online Degrees for Seniors guide is designed to assist seniors who aspire to enhance their intellect or consider starting a new career path. It features an overview of the top online degrees for seniors, emphasizing their numerous advantages, and a broad range of subjects to choose from. A friend's website: Terra Firma Designs: Fine Furniture, Stained Glass and woodworking workshops. Copyright 2010 RetirementTalk.org |
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