I once asked my former Penn State athletics colleague and friend Bruce Ellis how he was enjoying retirement. His response has resonated with me every day since. He said, with a big grin on his face, “Every day is Saturday, except Sunday!”
I doggedly researched both the financial nuances and the quality-of-life aspects of retirement by immersing myself in books, podcasts, seminars, webinars and discussions with those who have “flunked” retirement and those who are “living the dream.” There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this highly personal subject, and I encourage any of you who are nearing retirement or in the throes of it and not feeling fulfilled to drill deeper and ask a lot of questions.
Start with “What does a joyful and fulfilling retirement look like for me?” That answer differs for everyone more than you may realize and even changes depending on if you are in your “go-go” years, “slow-go” years or “no-go” years. Certainly, it depends on your financial resources, but now that I live in an over-55 active adult community, I will tell you that my admittedly anecdotal findings tell me it’s mostly about having a purpose in retirement for those who seem the most content.
I was, according to my wife, “obsessed” with preparing for life after full-time work, as I gathered all the data and facts I could. But it was those real-life conversations with actual retirees that were willing to be open and honest about their journeys where I learned the most. We are all works in progress and have the ability to pivot as needed so we can change on the fly, to use an old hockey coaches’ term.
So here is a Real Life 101 example of a few recent days in the life of this relative newbie to the world of retirement.
Saturday (aka Thursday) Feb. 22, 2024
At 7:30 a.m. my wife, Heidi, and I attended a Leadership Lab at Lowcountry Community Church. Our lead pastor, Jeff Cranston, a fantastic speaker, addressed the room full of local business and church leaders on the topic of “Prioritizing Your Decision Making: Making the Most of Your Time.”
It was back to Sun City for our 9 a.m. Thursday Bible Study Club. The history that Pastor Richard Smith brings to each talk — complete with maps of the ancient areas, side stories and the details of the Greek and Hebrew translations of the particular verses of the Bible — is fascinating. He even described the ancient city of Corinth in Greece as the “Las Vegas of the Roman Empire.”
Next, we met State College friends Dave and Diane Showers who were vacationing in Hilton Head to give them a tour of our community and have lunch at the Okatie Ale House, which is owned by Penn State alumna Virginia O’Gorman and her husband, Tim (they are huge supporters of THON!).
At 1 p.m., I had a physical therapy session at Elite PT, where my trainer and Michigan fan Scott Kathmann and I worked on some physical ailments from softball and pickleball. We talked about the Wolverines’ football title, the Detroit Lions’ playoff disappointment and the resurgence of the Red Wings under second year head coach Derek Lalonde, who used to teach hockey camp at Penn State for me in the late 90s.
At 2:30 p.m., I talked by Zoom with a young man from Nashville who is trying to move ahead in his career in sports management. I was introduced to him by former Penn State Director of Golf Operations Doug Wert. I still mentor and coach a number of high school and college students and it brings me great joy to be able to give back. At 4 p.m., Barkley reminded me that we had not visited the dog park, so naturally I had to take him to see his friends and for me to get caught up on all the happenings in the neighborhood.
We had to call an audible with our trip to hear our U.S. Representative Nancy Mace speak in Port Royal that evening due to a multi-vehicle accident that closed the Broad River Bridge, so after sitting in traffic for 30 minutes we decided to turn around. Shame, as I was amped up to ask some questions on infrastructure and education issues. We used the time to drive around to a couple of developments in our area to check out their progress.
Saturday (aka Friday) Feb. 23, 2024
A Friday golf cart ride to the dog park was followed by a 10 a.m. seminar at the Sun City Computer Club about Cord Cutting and Streaming options. After a quick change it was off to my final softball exhibition game (Spring season begins Tuesday). A lengthy call with Penn State alum and National Athletic and Professional Success Academy founder Brad Mitchell followed. Friday night I played the role of athletic supporter as I cheered on (and occasionally heckled) Heidi, who was playing in her first King/Queen of the Courts pickleball tournament. I may have snuck in a short walk over to AL’s Pub and Pizzeria for a quick Guinness between her matches (hey, she played eight).
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
Another early morning to travel into Old Town Bluffton for The Red Truck Men Breakfast and Bible Study at 7:30 a.m.. The Red Truck Men facilitates men’s groups centered on breakfast and fellowship. It’s a great mix of men who serve and support each other and their community. Founder Steve Thomas calls it a “A Safe Space for Dangerous Conversations” where men can be vulnerable and help each other using the Bible and scripture as our guide. After breakfast and a short message from some of the leaders, we break up into small groups around firepits. It’s a powerful experience.
Our study was led by a young father of three named Lukejohn Dickson. Following our session, Lukejohn asked me to be a part of a video to talk about the Red Truck Men. I sat next to D.J. Clancy who leads the Charlotte chapter. Turns out he’s a hockey player and played adult hockey with two of my former Icers, Paul Zodtner and Brent Tranter, at the Pineville Ice House. That’s the same Pineville rink where my nephew Nick Battista is the current hockey director. That’s what we affectionately call a “God Incidence.” Lukejohn then invited me to attend the Westbury Park Winterfest and Classic Car show in his neighborhood where we walked around listening to 70s folk music, viewing the cars and talking with some car owners.
It was off to the University of South Carolina at Beaufort next for the final home games of the school’s inaugural seasons of men’s and women’s Division II basketball. The women’s team won a thriller over Flagler University (Florida) by stealing the ball with time running out and getting fouled with just 0.6 seconds remaining. Sophomore Mahkayla Premo made both free throws for a 58-56 win. A last gasp pass by Flagler was intercepted and the celebration began. The men’s team gave an equally valiant effort, falling short 72-69 as a last attempt at a tying three-pointer was foiled. We ended the day at the USCB baseball game against Shepherd University from West Virginia. It also ended in a tough loss in the late innings, 8-6.
It’s the first year that USCB has played at the NCAA Division II level. There are no NIL deals and only limited scholarship money as these kids play the game for the love of the sport and for each other. What’s really cool is the head coach of the men’s hoops team, Ron Fudala (a former IUP associate head coach) and head baseball coach Ted Falkner and I attend the same Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bible study every Monday morning along with other coaches and staff.
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024
Well, Sunday is Sunday for us. We attended Sunday service at our church then spent the afternoon cleaning and doing household projects. Late Sunday evening I received a text from a former PSU assistant coach Josh Hand, who had just led his fifth-seeded Lehigh men’s ACHA hockey team to an ECHA Playoff Championship. Josh had reached out to me for some guidance about one of his student-athletes last week. It’s so rewarding to be remembered by the younger guys in the business and to lend a hand when asked. I also received a text finalizing a speaking engagement with The Buckeye Club of Sun City. Yes, that’s right, I will be the guest speaker at their annual dinner. We jokingly say that “Sun City is the fourth largest town in Ohio” as there are more former Ohio residents here than any other state.
Saturday (aka Monday) Feb. 26, 2024
Monday began a whole new adventure as our good friends Ray and Bobbi Lombra and Paul and Sarah Cohen ventured to the Lowcountry for the week to visit. Doc Lombra, a retired Penn State economics professor and associate dean in the College of the Liberal Arts, was a longtime volunteer Icer assistant coach, advisor, fundraiser, and my “consigliere.” Doc Cohen was the Icer faculty advisor for over 20 years and a Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering at Penn State (1983-2006) as well as the department head at North Carolina State University (2006-2023). We spent the afternoon and evening in Savannah, Georgia, and surprised the Docs when former Icer captain P.J. Amodeo and his wife, Rebecca, joined us for dinner.
I hope that what you have garnered from this portion of one retiree’s schedule is that retirement is not a destination but a new journey full of new opportunities. God willing, we stay physically healthy and mentally sharp and continue to remain active especially since “every day is Saturday, except Sunday!”
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