I joined a friend for a winter walk the other day (appropriately distanced, of course). On our way, he asked me about my transition and I shared a few of my trepidations as I ease into my next one. He’s been retired for a year or so, spurred on by some medical challenges. I asked him what was keeping him engaged during this time, especially with the restrictions of COVID.
He began to describe the many projects in which he is engaged including home repairs both indoors and out. To be honest, he sounded a little apologetic as he talked about some of the things he’s been up to, which sounded back-breaking and to me, dangerous. But the look in his eyes told a very different story.
I asked him questions about the complexity, the tools he’s using and his motivations, beyond attending to his “list”. He explained that he doesn’t have a natural ability to take on many of these projects (including shoring up some joists in the crawl space), but between asking questions and YouTube videos, he’s working his way through it and feeling really great about it.
His initial tone, which sounded to me as if he was minimizing his activities, shifted as he got down in the details and some of the things he’s discovered…mostly about himself and his capabilities. He said that he’s not “changing the world” which he feels is something that is “expected” — but he is enjoying his life and the improvements he’s made.
I celebrated with him. His energy changed to such a bright, positive and engaged state that we parted with a renewed vigor about life. As I said to him, “What’s better than finding something that lights you up?”
