Making the Most of Every Metirement Day

Seems to me there are two paths to Metirement. One path takes you in exactly the same direction as when you were working. Same thing every day. No effort to do anything new because you don’t really have time or energy to embark on new endeavors.

Or….you can try the other path and that is one of constant change and exploration of new things. I mean, why waste a minute? Do all the things you only thought about. Or do things you didn’t even consider until now.

For me, it was drawing, painting and photography. And of course, writing this blog which I really love. I have never once tried to draw or paint. As a lawyer I felt like those talents were not compatible with the rigid sort of thinking and writing that lawyers are good at. Artistic talent creates a more fluid style of thinking, free and relaxed. Almost dreamlike.

I found myself just craving information. At first, I approached the learning like law school and quickly realized if I was so intense, I would never learn how artists think and do things. After six weeks of drawing lessons and a weekend of total immersion in watercolor, I have a very basic (emphasis on VERY) understanding of what the crafts of drawing and painting are about.

It’s all in the technique and I had two wonderful teachers. Charlie Berger taught me how to draw and, importantly, didn’t make me feel that I wasn’t great at it (I definitely wasn’t).  A weekend with the delightful and exquisitely talented watercolorist, Bruce Neville, a master and award winning artist, made me realize that great artists are born that way but that it is not impossible to learn enough (with enough time and devotion) to create art that is pleasing to the eye and enjoyable as a pastime. The watercolor of the street in Charleston was my creation after seven hours of struggling to understand color, perspective, brushstrokes, and the multitude of paints and supplies. When I was done with what was a pretty lackluster painting, Bruce came over with a big paintbrush and starting dabbing here and dabbing there and the next thing I knew, my amateurish attempt at a painting was elevated to something quite acceptable when the master’s hand gave it a little of this and a little of that. This made me really understand and appreciate how unique and impressive one artist’s talent can be. I was honored that he even looked at my painting, let alone dabbled with it to make it so much better.

This is yet another example of how transformative Metirement can be. One minute you are commuting to the office, working like a lunatic all day long solving one problem after another, staying up all night worrying about said problems and never putting your phone down long enough to finish an uninterrupted meal.

But then all of a sudden, because now there is time, desire and singular focus on what one wants to do instead of what one has to do, I have turned into an artist. Or so I tell myself. My painting is not ready for hanging in a museum but six weeks ago I couldn’t even draw a stick figure.

Time, desire and focus. In combination they are the benefits of Metirement and urge us forward to make positive changes and give us a new outlook. Try something new, whether it is painting, writing poetry or a novel, reading, knitting….there are no limits anymore. Freedom to act and do and enjoy is a wonderful thing. And never take it for granted because appreciating it is one of the best aspects of having it.