I started attending a water aerobics class this past week. Maybe it’s that resolution to run a marathon hanging over my head, or my occasional daydream about moving to Florida, but for whatever reason, I’ve decided that 2016 is the year to get back into a regular exercise routine. Obviously I want to be as healthy as possible during retirement. I was fully expecting the physical health benefits, but was a little bit surprised that the biggest benefit is the women I’m in the class with.
Here’s what I’ve discovered in my career: the closer I get to retirement, the younger the rest of my coworkers seem to be. Sure, there are some longstanding friends who will be retiring soon after I do, but for the most part, my mentors have already traded in the briefcases and high heels. So while I’m looking forward to retirement, it’s been a little bit lonely on the journey. This past Tuesday morning, I found myself surrounded by many women who were already retired, and a few who, like me, will be by the end of this year.
There’s a reason why group exercise is a successful method for getting into shape. We’re social creatures, and support networks working together tend to keep us going when our willpower may have fallen short. That’s why I kept doing leg kicks long after the novelty of being in water had worn off, carried along by the momentum of the group (and only slightly to avoid embarrassment). Certainly I wasn’t going to lose my willpower to retire even without this particular support group, but it has already made a difference in how I see the next 6 months, and the next 30 years. Suddenly I have mentors again.
I talked to Patty, who retired a few years ago, and who usually spends her winters in Arizona. She just welcomed a new grandbaby into the world, so she’s sticking around Marion this year. I met a lady who is retiring in April, and we had a great time talking about our plans and even our worries about what lies ahead. I watched as this group of women headed out for coffee after class was over, the friendships they formed easily without taking them for granted. I realized one of my biggest fears about retirement was that I wouldn’t be able to form new friendships very easily without work being a common bond. That’s a fear that has been laid to rest this past week.
All of our lives are spent in moving from one group to the next. From classmates to coworkers, we are often surrounded by other people, working towards a common goal together. When I was younger, I’ll admit now that I was even a little resentful of these group settings. If you’re an “overachiever”, you sometimes feel like other people are holding you back. Thank goodness I’ve since outgrown that sentiment, and now I’m looking forward to joining and forming groups of my own choosing, and working towards those goals that are most meaningful to me. I’m Retiring Tina, and I still have some work to do.