A Reason to Be Alive

This blog is written by Lee Gale Gruen to help baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those soon to retire find joy, excitement, and purpose in life after they retire. Her public lecture on this subject is titled: “Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years.” Her memoir, Adventures with Dad: A Father and Daughter’s Journey Through a Senior Acting Class, is available on Amazon.com. Click here for her website: LeeGaleGruen.com

CHITCHAT:  I have slightly altered the name of this blog. It is now “Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years.” It will still be the same blog, but it now matches the title of my pending book: Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years: Find Joy, Excitement, and Purpose after You Retire. The book will contain all the material from my public lectures on senior reinvention as well as my blog posts of more than six years. I will post a notification on this blog when it is published and available for purchase.

Now, on to my blog:

What is your reason to be alive? We all need one. It’s what motivates us to keep going, even when we’re down, depressed, and life is just a bummer.

Think about the reasons that are significant in your life to make you want to keep going. Are you a member of a family to which you contribute emotionally, psychologically, financially, or in a myriad of other ways? Are you part of a community to which you offer your time and effort? Do you create in some manner that benefits society as a whole such as art or  writing to name a few from a long list?

Some years ago, a friend became suicidal, convinced that she was worthless. Her family, concerned for her welfare, arranged a psychological intervention facilitated by a therapist. With their loved one present, each gave a speech as to how she had impacted and enhanced their life. It was a very positive and powerful event and was successful in its goal. The beneficiary is functioning today as a respected member of her town.

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” a movie made in 1946, is traditionally shown on television every year around the winter holiday season. The plotline follows a man who feels overwhelmed with his responsibilities and obligations. After working for many years at a job he dislikes and which caused him to give up his dreams for the sake of his family and community, he has become discouraged and is contemplating suicide. An angel shows him how the town and its people would have turned out if he’d never been born, and he comes to realize that he has meant a lot to so many.

We probably won’t have an angel to point out our meaningful acts. Be your own angel and give some careful thought to that consideration. Almost everyone has someone or many ones who would mourn us if we died or would be lacking if we hadn’t been born. Each of us does make an impact.

Take an accounting of what you’ve contributed. Are there friends, family members, peers and such who value you? Can you allow yourself to accept that you have merit?

***

Please forward my blog to anyone who might be interested and post it on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media. To reprint any material, contact me for permission at:  gowergulch@yahoo.com. If you want to be automatically notified when I post a new blog, click on the “Follow” button in the upper right corner of this page and fill in the information. To read my other blog posts, scroll down on this page or click on “Recent Posts” or “Archives” under the Follow button. To opt out of receiving this blog, contact me at the aforementioned email address, let me know, and I’ll remove you from the list.

Photo on Visualhunt   License: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Minis and Me

This blog is written by Lee Gale Gruen to help baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those soon to retire find joy, excitement, and purpose 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: LeeGaleGruen.com

Now, on to my blog:

About eight years ago, I decided I needed more horses in my life, although I’d never had much to do with them. I remember a few times as a girl going to a stable and riding a horse, hanging onto the saddle horn for dear life. When I reached seniorhood, I realized so many members of the equine persuasion are calm, gentle, and take life as it comes. I definitely wanted more involvement with that description and philosophy.

I began going with a like-minded friend to a local stable where we rented horses and rode on wilderness trails led by a guide. My brand of horseback riding was a lot closer to horseback walking, but hey, I was sitting on top with no mishaps requiring stitches or splints and moving forward on a magnificent beast in pristine nature. What more could I want?

Since my revelation, I have vacationed twice at dude ranches, the first in Montana and then in Wyoming, where horseback riding was one of the main activities. (See my blog post about that experience: “Meandering” https://https://leegalegruen.wordpress.com/2015/09//2015/09/.) At the latter, I ventured out on my assigned steed, Bacon, twice a day for seven days in a row, about three hours each stint. I couldn’t seem to get enough.

In the last several years, my access to horses has dropped way off. Recently, I heard about a volunteer opportunity to help feed two mini-horses. Wow, would someone really let me do that? I grabbed my phone and dialed the magic number.

“Oh, thanks for calling. Yes, we definitely need help. I’ll meet you at the paddock this afternoon at 4:00 pm and show you the routine,” said the respondent on the other end of the line.

I set three alarms to remind me of the appointment lest I become engrossed in something and forget, which I’ve been known to do these days. I arrived at the agreed upon location at 3:45 pm.

I met the horsewoman who introduced me to Buzz and Spot, ages 15 and 16 years respectively, each weighing in at around 160 pounds. They were too cute! Buzz was brown, and Spot was–well, spotted, of course. Each stood about as high as my waist. They were as curious about me as I was about them. Both approached to check me out, and Spot was gracious enough to sniff my hand and give me his approval. Yes, he would allow me to minister to him.

Google provided me with a primer about miniature horses: they are no taller than 38 inches and have a variety of coat colors and patterns. They are gentle (my kind of horse), easily trained, and can pull up to four times their own weight. Minis are descended from Shetland ponies, a breed originating in the Shetland Isles off northern Scotland. They were first developed in Europe in the 1600s and are the result of selective breeding over the centuries. They were often the pets of royalty and were used in coal mines in both Europe and the United States until the mid 1900s.

I’m stimulated by my new volunteer job as a mini-horse wrangler, and I consider it a privilege to be around such special animals. Even during COVID-19, we can find things that delight us. Check out opportunities as you stumble upon them. Better yet, figure out an enticing pastime for yourself, seek it out, and get involved. Grab something fulfilling and wrangle it into your life.

***

Please forward my blog to anyone who might be interested and post it on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media. To reprint any material, contact me for permission at:  gowergulch@yahoo.com. If you want to be automatically notified when I post a new blog, click on the “Follow” button in the upper right corner of this page and fill in the information. To read my other blog posts, scroll down on this page or click on “Recent Posts” or “Archives” under the Follow button. To opt out of receiving this blog, contact me at the aforementioned email address, let me know, and I’ll remove you from the list.