[nicoleflynn]

Hi, I will be 70 at the end of September and am retiring. I am scared! I have worked my whole life (joining the Women's Army Corps) at 18........31 year abusive marriage and a whole lot of stuff...My life story won a scholarship at age 60 and I am a Sophomore at 69. i won't be able to continue to go to school, but ballet has always been my first love and I will continue to take classes.

I need to be busy and have some kind of a routine. There is an older person's commission where I live and they have "tons" of activities. Unfortuately, not enough to interest me...so I am looking at places to volunteer, etc.

I waited so long to get a divorce because of the fear of being alone.......15 years of lonliness, and now I won't have the camaraderie that I do at work (only a few good friends).

Any suggestions would be wonderful. It is hard to figure out everything by onesself. I wish I could be excited, but again, changing ones' life after 50 years of working.

Thank you fellow sistahs! Nicole

[Little Lulu]

Congratulations on a successful life and retirement. I recently retired and I was fearful like you as I had worked since I was 16, even worked through college. I initially did a lot of volunteer work, yoga, zumba, etc. as I made the adjustment to having more time on my hands. I've since dropped some of those activities and found that I'm just fine with having 'loose' time on my hands.

Even now, though, I make a list each evening of a few things I want/need to do the next day and I check it in the morning. I rest better knowing I have a daily plan of some sort. I have several hobbies (making jewelry, genealogy, crochet, reading) which help fill my time at home.

If you don't like retirement, though, there are plenty of part-time jobs you could consider. Give yourself permission to create the retirement life you want and to tweak it when/if it isn't working for you. Enjoy.

[Perna]

Nicole, I moved to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). It's independent living -- I come and go as I please, but all the upkeep/bills are taken care of for you and there are extra services (I have garage parking for my car, weekly housekeeping, maintenance, free phone, cable TV (have to pay extra for Internet), HVAC/electric paid, etc.) so you just pay one bill a month.

What I like most about it is it's a "community"; everyone is in the same situation and they have more activities, including a zillion volunteer choices, than a commission and/or you can start your own club/activity. I can choose to eat a meal a day (my 900+ sq. ft. apartment has a modern stainless steel/granite counter, eat-in kitchen) in the dining room which is a great time to meet up with new friends/neighbors.

We have a good library and convenience store, a gift shop and "Bistro" (casual eating or take-out). I eat lunch every day in the dining room with a new friend and that helps "divide" my day (morning and afternoon/evening). My place has a "wellness center" where I meet up with my primary care doctor and get my blood tests, etc.; really hard, rolling out of bed and wandering a couple hallways to the doctor early in the morning, stopping at the Bistro on the way back for a cup of coffee :-) I don't even have to make appointments and if I need a specialist, they make that appointment for me too.

There's a gym with free personal trainer on site and scads of physical ed classes (and indoor pool with classes) and I have my own garden out front (I'm on the ground floor of the apartment building; most people live in their own "cottages" with front and back gardens) but I can get a vegetable garden in the huge plot in Spring if I want; there are buses to take one shopping and on lots of trips (I'm going to a casino trip on the 17th :-) and last fall I volunteered at the local college, mentoring sophomores who were taking a special aging class, meeting one-on-one and discussing topics they were learning about in class to help them get a better understanding of growing older :-)

https://www.caring.com/local/continu...es-in-michigan

108 Senior Living Communities in Rochester Hills, MI - SeniorHousingNet.com

My community is non-profit and associated with the Episcopalians but not "religious" (the chapel is Episcopal, obviously, but there's an ecumenical service each Sunday too and Catholic mass twice a month, a rabbi once a month, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. but many of the people come from the surrounding area so still go to their old churches and do things with their old friends/groups. Others moved here to be closer to children/grandchildren/other relatives so do things their family knows about in the area. I can be as busy or scheduled or relaxes as I want. A couple nights there is a cocktail hour before dinner service (one night the wine and beer is free and the other night they have free cheese and crackers and fruit enough to make a light supper of :-) and I am on a computer game sports teams so go to other people's houses to practice with wine and cheese/crackers and then we all go to dinner together once a week. I lost my "sweet 16" shuffleboard match the other night (I was seeded 3 in my league :-) so won't be going on to the championships, LOL.

[TishaBuv]

What a very young person you are! Always learning, exercising, reaching out- good for you!

There are so many places to go and people to meet. Just keep trying new adventures.

You inspire me!

[nicoleflynn]

Originally Posted by Perna

Nicole, I moved to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). It's independent living -- I come and go as I please, but all the upkeep/bills are taken care of for you and there are extra services (I have garage parking for my car, weekly housekeeping, maintenance, free phone, cable TV (have to pay extra for Internet), HVAC/electric paid, etc.) so you just pay one bill a month.

What I like most about it is it's a "community"; everyone is in the same situation and they have more activities, including a zillion volunteer choices, than a commission and/or you can start your own club/activity. I can choose to eat a meal a day (my 900+ sq. ft. apartment has a modern stainless steel/granite counter, eat-in kitchen) in the dining room which is a great time to meet up with new friends/neighbors.

We have a good library and convenience store, a gift shop and "Bistro" (casual eating or take-out). I eat lunch every day in the dining room with a new friend and that helps "divide" my day (morning and afternoon/evening). My place has a "wellness center" where I meet up with my primary care doctor and get my blood tests, etc.; really hard, rolling out of bed and wandering a couple hallways to the doctor early in the morning, stopping at the Bistro on the way back for a cup of coffee :-) I don't even have to make appointments and if I need a specialist, they make that appointment for me too.

There's a gym with free personal trainer on site and scads of physical ed classes (and indoor pool with classes) and I have my own garden out front (I'm on the ground floor of the apartment building; most people live in their own "cottages" with front and back gardens) but I can get a vegetable garden in the huge plot in Spring if I want; there are buses to take one shopping and on lots of trips (I'm going to a casino trip on the 17th :-) and last fall I volunteered at the local college, mentoring sophomores who were taking a special aging class, meeting one-on-one and discussing topics they were learning about in class to help them get a better understanding of growing older :-)

https://www.caring.com/local/continu...es-in-michigan

108 Senior Living Communities in Rochester Hills, MI - SeniorHousingNet.com

My community is non-profit and associated with the Episcopalians but not "religious" (the chapel is Episcopal, obviously, but there's an ecumenical service each Sunday too and Catholic mass twice a month, a rabbi once a month, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc. but many of the people come from the surrounding area so still go to their old churches and do things with their old friends/groups. Others moved here to be closer to children/grandchildren/other relatives so do things their family knows about in the area. I can be as busy or scheduled or relaxes as I want. A couple nights there is a cocktail hour before dinner service (one night the wine and beer is free and the other night they have free cheese and crackers and fruit enough to make a light supper of :-) and I am on a computer game sports teams so go to other people's houses to practice with wine and cheese/crackers and then we all go to dinner together once a week. I lost my "sweet 16" shuffleboard match the other night (I was seeded 3 in my league :-) so won't be going on to the championships, LOL.

Thank you, Perna! That sounds wonderful!

[nicoleflynn]

Originally Posted by TishaBuv

What a very young person you are! Always learning, exercising, reaching out- good for you!

There are so many places to go and people to meet. Just keep trying new adventures.

You inspire me!

Tisha: How sweet you are. Thank you....just sent another letter t o Oprah (and my book); I have been writing to the media for 15 years, because I want to speak on national television regarding verbal abuse (what I endured in a 31 year "marriage." xo

[nicoleflynn]

My apologies; I responded to all of your kind comments, but it looks like I did it wrong? Still fighting the techie stuff, LOL

[Gus1234U]

(the trick to replying without a copy of the other post is at the bottom of the page... )

i have found that thru meditation i am coming to know myself and be my best friend. i never expected that. there are many kinds of meditation, and a member forum here in PC, but the bottom line is "awareness" free of "attachment". this can be very liberating for some, and very frightening for others. i hope you find something that is meaningful and fulfilling~!

may you have purpose and the causes of purpose~!

[TimTheEnchanter]

I am just curious why can't you continue with school? Is there some artificial age limit?
Best of luck to find some fulfilling endeavor...I am sure you will...

[nicoleflynn]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

I am just curious why can't you continue with school? Is there some artificial age limit?
Best of luck to find some fulfilling endeavor...I am sure you will...

Just saw your message........I cannot continue school because of money (can't afford it). The University where I worked paid my tuition, but once I retire, they don't.