The Art of Retirement - learning about retirement

Last week I completed a five-week class called "The Art of Retirement" offered through the adult ed program. The teacher, George Fulmore, has been writing a column in the local paper, with the same title, for several years. This was his last class because he is planning on retiring from the retirement business now that his wife is also retiring. They are going to try out some other lifestyle choices - traveling, maybe even moving.

I missed out on retirement classes offered at work. I think they were nine-weeks classes offered twice a year, but I never was able to get signed up before they filled up. After I made the decision to retire there were no classes available from work. I looked through some retirement books, and even bought a new book from George called The Joy of Not Working, by Ernie J. Zelinski. I have thumbed through that also.

During our last class people told about their retirement plans. Many people were not yet retired and with the current wild fluctuations of the market were rethinking their plans. When they got to me I said with a big grin that I WAS retired. I also said that I had started a blog about retirement and maybe I would appropriate the name "The Art of Retirement." Several people were interested in coming to the blog, but of course I had forgotten to bring the URL. Bummer.

I even got a very nice certificate of completion, saying I had done the class. It was fun seeing people at all different stages toward the end of their careers or beginning of retirement. You could tell those manager types who could not stand disorder in the classroom. Lots of volunteers to pass out papers. Men saying - "what's the big deal?" - while their wives grimaced.

So when I mention my retirement class and the words of wisdom I gathered there, I am talking about the Art (not science) of Retirement.