From congratulations to are you bored yet?

As previously discussed, when you first tell folks you retired their standard reply is “congratulations.”

It took awhile to not feel awkward in replying, but my standard response now is to just to say “thank you.”

But when you run into some of the same people, now that it’s been 5 months, a few ask, “are you bored yet?”

However, it hasn’t taken any time at all to feel comfortable responding to this question: “absolutely not.”

While much has been written regarding why this occurs for some people (loss of work identity, structure, socialization, purpose, etc.) it seems that keeping my answer as simple as possible helps to bring an end to this line of questioning, although I’m always happy to go into more depth for anyone sincerely interested in discussing.

Given the ability to spend more time with family and friends, pursue leisure activities, pleasure reading, explore new interests/hobbies, volunteerism, etc., it’s really a shame that some feel bored.

I’ll just continue to document my thoughts for anyone who happens to end up at this site.

5/12th of my gap year?

I’ve been retired for 5 months.

All’s going great.

I’m well rested, have read many books, have exercised a lot, have traveled, have improved both my golf and pickleball skills, and have done a few home projects, to date.

My wife told me she has jokingly referred to me as being on a gap year, when some work colleagues have asked how my retirement was going.

Most define the gap year as a period of time dedicated to personal growth, gaining new skills, exploring other interests, and travel, usually between high school and college, or between college and graduate school.

Although, reportedly, gap years “started to gain significant traction in the 1980s and 1990s in the United States,” it was a concept that I, somewhat regrettably, never considered back in the day.

Over the years, I’ve met many young adults who have done a gap year, have both marveled at and, occasionally, have even been envious of some of their global life experiences, while also questioning if I would have had “the guts” to do many of the non-traditional and adventurous things they pursued at such a young age.

I finished high school at age 17 and was 30 by the time I finished college, medical school, family medicine residency, and a geriatric fellowship.

I immediately started practicing and retired at age 65.

I’m totally fine with her telling folks this is my gap year…just delayed taking it for 44-48 years.

Honestly, I suspect I’ll also be fine if she needs to say my gap years, beginning in 7 months from now.

Senior Citizen!

It was no issue signing up for the mature driving course.

The accepted definitions of mature includes “those who are over the age of 18, or 21.”

I’m planning to audit a class or two starting in January at our local state university.

I’m committed to being a lifelong learner and have always completely agreed with a quote attributed to John Quincy Adams: Old minds are like old horses. You must exercise them to keep them in working order.

According to the university academic calendar, the registration for “Senior Citizen Audits” begins at 3:30 pm on January 9th, in person, at the registrar office.

Senior Citizen!

The most common definition is “an older adult, especially one who is age 65 or older,” and I’m of this age.

However, I would prefer to present, in person, to hand in my registration application for an “Older Adult Audit.”

I’ll eventually “get over” the verbiage being used, I’m sure…possibly even by January 9th!

Could have played some ”free” golf!

Just finished doing the 6-hour Florida Safety Council-Mature Driving Course.

The cost was minimal-only $12.50.

I could have taken it over ten-years ago, since eligibility starts at age 55+.

However, I doubt I would have committed to the 6-hours, until now.

It had nine mandatory sections, and you could not advance to the next section until the countdown timer, for each section, was completed.

I passed the final exam.

Haven’t told her yet, but know my wife will be so proud!

My car insurance premium will be decreased by close to 10% for the next three-years (you can call your carrier to find out what your rate reduction would be prior to starting).

At my current rate, the three-year savings is approximately $500 or about $163/year (taking the cost of the course into account).

Man…the things I could have done with the extra dough!

Could have played 3-4 rounds of golf/year with the $163, basically (in my mind) for “free,” depending on the course, the time of the day and the season of the year.

😏.

See-one, do-one, teach-one

Just got back from visiting my daughter and her husband, both of whom are in their 3rd year as Veterinarians.

Neither did a residency after Vet school.

They’re doing well and have acquired significant experience in a short time.

I went to medical school, and did residency, in the see-one, do-one, teach-one era.

I always enjoyed procedures.

Prior to doing, however, there was always a sense of anxiety, apprehension, and questioning of my ability to perform whatever procedure was clinically indicated.

But, the procedure typically ended with, “that was a lot easier than I thought,” as I transitioned to doing more of the same alone, or teaching colleagues when an opportunity arose.

Medical students and residents now keep a careful log of the number of a procedure they have observed, prior to be signed-off to, eventually, perform.

The number required to observe varies, but is much greater than one.

I had no such documentation requirement.

My daughter and son-in-law are doing some amazing surgical procedures, many of which they’ve done after previously observing only one, or in the case of some emergencies, having been talked through by a colleague who was at a remote location or after quickly watching an instructional video.

It reminds me of my medical school and residency days from the 80s.

A change in goals

Arthur C. Brooks (from his book, From Strength to Strength):

-They (researchers) found that goals fell into two basic categories, which they called intrinsic and extrinsic.

-Intrinsic goals centered around fulfillment from deep, enduring relationships. Extrinsic goals centered on earning a lot of money, owning a lot of stuff, gaining power, or achieving reputation and fame…

-If your life goals revolve around lots of money, prestige, and other worldly things, you will be setting yourself up to have exploding wants and low life satisfaction.

-Perhaps you have been a full-on extrinsic goals junkie for many years…

-But if you are mature and experienced in the ways of life-another way of saying you’re getting up there in years, like me-you now know that extrinsic rewards are foolish goals.

-Only a shift to intrinsic goals will give you what you really want…

-Here’s a trick to get started on this: Visualize yourself at a party. Someone asks, “What do you do?” Don’t imagine yourself saying, “I’m a lawyer.” Imagine yourself saying instead, “I’m a wife and a mother to three adult kids.” Don’t worry if you don’t quite believe it yourself at first that this is who you truly are and what you do. You will speak this truth into existence in your life.

-It’s difficult to describe adequately the depth of the rewards that one enjoys when relationships become your official source of meaning and fulfillment. People compare it with finding buried treasure, with the only sadness being that it didn’t happen earlier in life.

Okay, here goes: 

Q: What do you do?

“I’m a husband, father, and grandfather.”

It actually feels just fine. 

Think about giving it a try.

80 sexual encounters, by 3 passengers, on 1 cruise

I read each edition of (General Medicine) Journal Watch.

It reviews recent medical articles and presents them in an abbreviated format-something appreciated by most family physicians.

The most recent had a section entitled, Mpox (Monkey Pox) on the Seas.

Mpox is caused by the Monkeypox virus, is transmitted through close, usually intimate, contact, has symptoms that include fever, malaise, chills, headache, sore throat, cough and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash that may be located on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, and typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Treatment is mainly supportive, including pain management.

It noted that on one cruise (that was marketed to gay and bisexual men), 3 symptomatic passengers reported a combined total of about 80 sexual contacts (all of which were verified as male-to-male sexual encounters).

This had to be a typo, right?

I reviewed the original publication.

It wasn’t.

On the cruise, one passenger had 50 sexual encounters during the voyage, another passenger had 25, and a third passenger had 4 (Total of 79!).

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) initiated appropriate tracers (reaching out to those who had contact with the symptomatic passengers).

The effectiveness of the mpox vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis is greatest if/when administered within 4 days (that’s why pre-exposure prophylaxis with the vaccine is preferred).

If I was a CDC employee, I would have immediately volunteered to do tracers on the third passenger.

But, since I’ve always been a team player, would have (eventually) assisted colleagues who were tracing the other 75!