The thing I feared most about retirement was to become nonproductive, to degenerate into a useless creature. Can you imagine a retired army general at home staring idly at the ceiling, with no soldiers to bark commands at and no battles to fight?
I was due to retire at age 65, but the retirement got postponed thrice by our board of directors. They finally allowed me to go in 2007. I was 71 years old.
The wife of a friend whose husband just retired warned my wife about the crankiness that suddenly afflicted ex-CEOs who found themselves without a kingdom to rule. And that wifey should not be taken aback if her ex-CEO husband (that’s me) wielded his managerial savvy by interfering in her home routines, such as cooking, pantry inventory, the stocking of chilled and frozen foods in the refrigerator.
The furniture might be rearranged according to his knowledge of space utilization. In short, he becomes a busisero (me).
Wifey was also tipped off that retired men expected some pampering in recognition of their industriousness and dedication in securing the family. Ah so! Wifey kept serving me my favorite Southern Tagalog dishes: guinataang laing, sinaing na tulingan at atcharang ubod.
The early days of my retirement were a welcome reprieve. I had plenty of time to read my books, listen to Bach, Beethoven, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, and rock music of the ’70s and ’80s. I enjoyed in DVDs the delicate sensuality of Audrey Hepburn, the sultry beauty of youthful Liz Taylor and all of the machismo of Clint Eastwood in his “Dirty Harry” movies.
Then came the culture shock. The stoppage of my monthly salary was traumatic. The perks were all gone. Oh, my God! No more representation allowances. No more five-star lunch meetings. No more free travel. No executive secretary to do my bidding. I’m alone by my lonesome self. I’ve lost my turf. My underlings were all gone.
All these insecurities, however, were fleeting. At 71, I figured I could still hope for my minimum longevity of at least 15 years, provided I took care of myself and followed orders of my cardiologist, pulmonologist and rheumatologist.
I rationalized my needs and wants. I did some strategizing.
I came up with thematic schemes aimed at a productive and proactive retirement. These concepts enlisted doables guaranteed for the second wind to blow my way. They were tailor-fit and user-friendly for me. Here are thematic schemes for retirement:
Constantly stimulated
1. Read and write (intellectual). Read and brush up on history, philosophy, theology, and contemporary economic, social and political upheavals. At age 71, I have acquired the experience and maturity for magnanimity and enlightenment. Write! Writing enables me to craft and convey my ideas to an appreciative or contrarian audience.
Either way, my mind is constantly stimulated. Rewriting my work several times is an act in pursuit of excellence, a creative exercise full of agony and ecstasy. Deadlines will be my aphrodisiac.
2. Transcend and immortalize (psychological). I have to tame my fear of death. I need to be aware of my eventual appointment with my immortality. Fidelity to my Catechism and my forays into the moral imagination of St. Paul, St. Augustine and Benedict XVI enable me to grasp with clarity and certitude the beauty of my Christian faith. My final destiny is devoutly to be wished.
3. Plant and jog (physical). The muscle memory of our youth can be revived by the treadmill or long walks, swimming and other gym equipment. Legs will be stronger, lungs will breathe easier. Come closer to nature. Dig a hole on earth and plant trees and care for them until they bear fruits. Tend a flower bed and watch the bud bloom before your eyes. Smell the flowers. I’m a child of mother nature.
4. Embrace family values (emotional). The family is the beginning and end of work excellence on earth and spiritual reward. Family is where I put my best foot forward, my sacrifices, my selflessness, my intimacy and joy. It’s where human values are bequeathed as sacred inheritance. My wife, children and grandchildren are the source of my gentleness of spirit and the exuberance of my progeny. To love and be loved by my family are moments to die for.
5. Kneel down and pray (spiritual). Don’t be arrogant, egotistic and smart-alecky with your maker. Rosaries, Masses, reconciliation and the Eucharist are concrete acts that allow us to surrender our will to the wonders of our faith. The rituals of Christianity give the confidence and assurance that we have a living interaction with our maker through the use of all our senses. We can pray the rosary any time, any place. Hold on to your beads. We need a crutch on the road to heaven.
Retirement is like any other passage in life such as adolescence, prime of life and middle age, and our sunset years are just another rite of passage for self-discovery. Aging is never a diminution of the intellectual, psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual development of humans. Life continues with new needs, new desires and new fulfillment. But like any praiseworthy task, we’ve go to make them happen.
Email hgordonez@gmail.com.