This blog is written by Lee Gale Gruen to help Baby Boomers, seniors, retirees, and those soon to retire find joy, excitement, and satisfaction in life after retirement. Her public lecture on this subject is titled: “Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement.” Her memoir, Adventures with Dad: A Father and Daughter’s Journey Through a Senior Acting Class, is available by clicking here Amazon.com. Click here for her website: http://AdventuresWithDadTheBook.com
CHITCHAT: I will be giving free public lectures on the following dates, times, and locations:
October 16, 2018, 1:00pm, “Reinventing Yourself in Your Senior Years,” The Holmstad Retirement Community, 700 W. Fabyan Pkwy, Batavia, IL 60510, (630) 239-1133, www.theholmstad.org (RSVP REQUIRED)
October 17, 2018, 10:30am, “Reinventing Yourself in Your Senior Years,” Windsor Park Retirement Community, 124 Windsor Park Dr, Carol Stream, IL 60188, (331) 218-3637, www.windsorparkillinois.org (RSVP REQUIRED)
October 19, 2018, 10:30am, “Reinventing Yourself in Your Senior Years,” Covenant Village of Northbrook, 2625 Techny Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062, (224) 412-8421, www.covenantnorthbrook.org (RSVP REQUIRED)
Now, on to my blog:
Some people seem to think that they are more entitled to the goodies of life than others. They’re the ones who fight to be first in selecting everything. Here are a few examples: they rush to the best seats, cut in line, cherry-pick the choicest portion of the communal food, maneuver themselves into the most advantageous spots, grab the… Well, you get the idea.
These are the same folks who think they can buy or manipulate their way in or out of anything. They may use different ploys to advance their agenda. “I’m rich, so I should have a more luxurious (fill in the blank)”; I’m well-known, so I deserve a better (fill in the blank)”; “I’m sickly, so I merit a more advantageous (fill in the blank)”; “I’m elderly, so I require a more comfortable (fill in the blank)”; and on and on. Everyone can find a reason in their life why they should be more entitled than you, me, him, her, them, or whomever.
I was on a tour years ago in some exotic location, and we went out daily in a Land Rover to navigate the rough terrain. One woman always got there early and sat in the front passenger seat. She told us all that she had a bad knee, and the extra legroom allowed her to stretch out her leg. Coincidentally, that also happened to be the best seat in the house, offering the choicest view out of the panoramic front window as well as a prime location next to the driver/tour guide so every morsel of his spiel could be captured. One day, we arrived to see a man from our group in that coveted seat. The aforementioned woman was forced to sit in another spot. “Would you mind changing seats with me so I can stretch out my sore knee,” she said to him sweetly. I loved his response which was no response at all. He didn’t say a word and didn’t budge. It was wonderful to see our entitled member confronted in such a silent manner, as we were all pretty sick of her uncanny need to always require the most desirable of everything on that trip.
It’s a little unclear how these self-perceived, entitled beings got that way. Perhaps mommy and daddy enabled it as they were growing up. It could be a result of their feelings of deprivation. Maybe it’s an adaptation to the natural competition among the seven billion plus of us on this planet. Of course, we all use our talents, skills, and abilities to get our “piece of the pie.” But, the entitled of the world take it to another level altogether.
Are you among the always entitled, or do you know someone like that? Folks of such an attitude, position, or outlook are completely off-putting to everyone else. We are all human beings, and we live in close proximity to each other, jostling around like nervous atoms trying to get comfortable and find our place. One person is not more special or important than anyone else, although he/she would like to be.
Let’s be grown up and fair about this. Let everybody in your sphere have a chance for the best this or the finest that. When it’s always about you, you may find that you’re no longer in competition because you no longer have anyone who is willing to be involved with you in any way. You will be left to enjoy your best this or finest that all by your best and finest lonesome self.
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It’s easy to get left behind with the rapid-fire changes that have happened in our lifetime: new ideas, new discoveries, new ways of living, new technology, and on and on. Each time something new happens, it presents us with a steep learning curve.
Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years 