I feel like I'm really getting busy now but I still want to be recognized as a professional. I need to find a way to leave that behind.
I do a dance class on Tuesday evenings (set dancing), another on Wednesday afternoon (dance as exercise), Bridge group on Friday mornings, film group every 'last' Wednesday, aerobic exercise at the gym we've joined every morning and a book club starting in October. I've had friends tell me that retirement is busier than work life and I'm definitely finding that to be true. Yet, I find myself longing for a day of doing nothing, although that's a condition I also fear for some reason. I've always been a productive person and want to continue that in my retirement from work, but I also want to NOT WORK. That's a job in itself.
I've recently re-read a book that I co-authored with a person that I have known for many years and it's caused me to think that I'm not done working. I think I'd really like to develop some of these really good ideas into a new service, to work on speaking on the topic and establishing a business around that. I know I could do it. I don't want to do it. I'm having so much fun not working at a career. I really want to pursue that, but I'm also afraid that I won't be able to do it. I guess it's been the path of least resistance for me for so long that I don't know how to get out of this well worn rut. I still want to compete and succeed in the narrow field where I feel so productive!
But, I also want to succeed at living the life of Riley that I've earned. I hope there's a way to balance the two.
As I re-read this I can imagine young people looking at these words and saying "I wish," which also fills me with sadness. I wish for you too, but I also would like you to know that you wish for the same things when you are 64 that you did when you were 26. You will be the same person throughout your life.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Started set dancing on Monday. Boy is that work!
There were about 30 other dancers, all Irish of course, and all were familiar with the basic steps so even when the instructor asked if they had ever danced before they all were familiar with the general idea -- except me. When he heard my accent, he asked "do you know 1-2-3?" Well, no. He then separated me from my friend Mary (Irish, knowing 1-2-3) and I was next to him the rest of the evening. I got 1-2-3 pretty quick but the rest of it, whew. It was dizzying, twirly and fast. Except for getting dizzy and quite sweaty; more than the others and partly due to my thyroid medication I think, it was really, really fun! I was glad I'm fit because otherwise I would not have been able to keep up.
Fortunately for me as a newbie, I was always in the female position. Since there are mostly women in the class (no surprise there) some women have to take the male position and then everything is opposite. This is an issue because one aspect of set dancing is alternating partners. About a quarter of the class is men so half of the people in the male position are women, and when in that role the women led the way women lead, they explained stuff. Dancing with the men was easier because they approach the task by forcing you to do what's needed. They squeeze, pull and push. The women didn't do that at all, they held lightly and said "do this; do that". It was hard to process the explanations when things were happening so quickly, much easier to get squeezed, pushed and pulled in the right direction. Venus and Mars all over again!
Most of the people were really nice, although some seemed not to want to dance with me and my two left feet. No one was mean or anything, but when it came to the men changing circles (there were three of them) I was always the last to get partnered up. Fortunately the instructor kept a good watch on me and sometimes pulled a better dancer to me so that he didn't have two klutzes twirling awkwardly together, a survival tactic for his work I guess because that could definitely cause a pile-up.
The dance is like square dancing in that it's four couples in a square with a pair facing each other most of the time. It's also similar in that there are various formations and what, in square dancing, is called promenade is used at the start. The big, big difference is that one-two-three. Instead of in square dancing where people walk normally, all of the steps in set dancing are done with a one-two-three shuffle, similar to polka. That's what makes it so strenuous.
The only problem with the current class is its location. I have to admit that the neighborhood is quite dodgey (a word used here a lot to describe bad). It is OK in the going but the class is out at 10 p.m. so it's pretty dark and lonely coming back. My friend drives and the parking is also not good, although on Monday she found a spot about a block away. She wouldn't hear of me standing at the bus stop and drove me to a better one. We go in different directions and I just don't want to take advantage of her, so this is no good. We have found another place that is in a country pub with parking, so next week we are going to try me taking the bus to her place, driving there and then me getting the bus back from her place.
I've been without a car for a long time now, 8 years since we moved to Washington, and I'm used to public transit, but I have noticed people who have cars just can't fathom waiting for a bus. But I know I have to be careful about that because it can also lead to a lot of inconvenience for drivers if I were to take advantage of that mindset. I really don't mind the bus, I'm used to it.
Next week we start going to plays in the Dublin Theater Festival series and Alan's sister and brother in law come for a visit, so things will get busy. We are looking forward to having guests again!
There were about 30 other dancers, all Irish of course, and all were familiar with the basic steps so even when the instructor asked if they had ever danced before they all were familiar with the general idea -- except me. When he heard my accent, he asked "do you know 1-2-3?" Well, no. He then separated me from my friend Mary (Irish, knowing 1-2-3) and I was next to him the rest of the evening. I got 1-2-3 pretty quick but the rest of it, whew. It was dizzying, twirly and fast. Except for getting dizzy and quite sweaty; more than the others and partly due to my thyroid medication I think, it was really, really fun! I was glad I'm fit because otherwise I would not have been able to keep up.
Fortunately for me as a newbie, I was always in the female position. Since there are mostly women in the class (no surprise there) some women have to take the male position and then everything is opposite. This is an issue because one aspect of set dancing is alternating partners. About a quarter of the class is men so half of the people in the male position are women, and when in that role the women led the way women lead, they explained stuff. Dancing with the men was easier because they approach the task by forcing you to do what's needed. They squeeze, pull and push. The women didn't do that at all, they held lightly and said "do this; do that". It was hard to process the explanations when things were happening so quickly, much easier to get squeezed, pushed and pulled in the right direction. Venus and Mars all over again!
Most of the people were really nice, although some seemed not to want to dance with me and my two left feet. No one was mean or anything, but when it came to the men changing circles (there were three of them) I was always the last to get partnered up. Fortunately the instructor kept a good watch on me and sometimes pulled a better dancer to me so that he didn't have two klutzes twirling awkwardly together, a survival tactic for his work I guess because that could definitely cause a pile-up.
The dance is like square dancing in that it's four couples in a square with a pair facing each other most of the time. It's also similar in that there are various formations and what, in square dancing, is called promenade is used at the start. The big, big difference is that one-two-three. Instead of in square dancing where people walk normally, all of the steps in set dancing are done with a one-two-three shuffle, similar to polka. That's what makes it so strenuous.
The only problem with the current class is its location. I have to admit that the neighborhood is quite dodgey (a word used here a lot to describe bad). It is OK in the going but the class is out at 10 p.m. so it's pretty dark and lonely coming back. My friend drives and the parking is also not good, although on Monday she found a spot about a block away. She wouldn't hear of me standing at the bus stop and drove me to a better one. We go in different directions and I just don't want to take advantage of her, so this is no good. We have found another place that is in a country pub with parking, so next week we are going to try me taking the bus to her place, driving there and then me getting the bus back from her place.
I've been without a car for a long time now, 8 years since we moved to Washington, and I'm used to public transit, but I have noticed people who have cars just can't fathom waiting for a bus. But I know I have to be careful about that because it can also lead to a lot of inconvenience for drivers if I were to take advantage of that mindset. I really don't mind the bus, I'm used to it.
Next week we start going to plays in the Dublin Theater Festival series and Alan's sister and brother in law come for a visit, so things will get busy. We are looking forward to having guests again!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Solpadeine is My Boyfriend, a play we saw yesterday during the Dublin Fringe Festival, was about the most moving performance I've seen since The Last of Mrs. Lincoln when I was in my 20's. I'll remember it for a long, long time. (Solpadeine is a drug for headaches. It has codeine in it so it's addictive. It's really amazing to me that you can't buy a big bottle of aspirin tablets here but you can get an addictive drug over-the-counter. I think the issue must be quantity and how it's taken because it seems you can only buy 12 at a time of any headache remedy and almost all of them--including this one--is effervescent and dissolved in water.)
The show, a one person performance, written and performed by an incredibly talented young woman was about the struggles young people face in Ireland -- all over the world really -- when they can't find jobs. The poignant aspect about this condition here in Ireland is that joblessness among the young is almost always 'solved' by emigration. Now they are mostly going to Australia but the effect is still the same on Ireland as when they were going to America. Pain and loss among family and friends left behind. I'd never really looked at it from the perspective of the young people who stayed behind. The courage, it seemed, was in the going. This young woman, Stefanie Preissner, has captured and articulated the courage it takes to stay. I was really, really impressed. If you are interested, you can read more about this performance and her here: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/emigration-stefanie-preissner-585621-Sep2012/
I'm reminded over and over again how what we thought in America was a bad economy, is really so, so much better than what it could be like if the recession was as real there as it is here. For all the talk of how bad it is there, and I'm not minimizing the lack of work that I know continues to bedevil the U.S. economy and people we know and love there; the double dip recession that is here, is frightening. Not only are there no jobs but investments are not performing either so even people with savings continue to be hurt. We had a brief conversation with a woman about our age while we were waiting for the doors to open on the performance. She has three sons and even the suggestion of them emigrating brought tears to her eyes, she knows it's a real possibility that one or more of them will do it. It was really sad.
On a happier note, both Alan and I received copies of the books we worked on the in last year in the mail this week. It was a real pleasure to see them in print. Mine, 10 Lessons for Cultivating Member Commitment is a "best seller". Which in association terms, means has sold over 200 copies since it was published in August. I don't have the numbers for Alan's, Environmental Scanning for Associations. I don't think Alan is really touting this achievement in any event since his area is really fiction. He's been busy working on a play and has joined a writer's group, so that's his main focus.
I've taken two drop-in dance classes already, and will start the more formal set dancing class on Monday. I'm very excited to begin. The drop-in classes are on Wednesday afternoons and so far I've learned a few steps in the jitterbug and the start of a minuet. It's quite a bit more strenuous than it seemed at first but good fun.
Next week we will start going to the plays we've booked in the Dublin Theater Festival, including the first staging of James Joyce The Dubliners with our visitors, Alan's sister and brother in law. We are so looking forward to seeing them.
The show, a one person performance, written and performed by an incredibly talented young woman was about the struggles young people face in Ireland -- all over the world really -- when they can't find jobs. The poignant aspect about this condition here in Ireland is that joblessness among the young is almost always 'solved' by emigration. Now they are mostly going to Australia but the effect is still the same on Ireland as when they were going to America. Pain and loss among family and friends left behind. I'd never really looked at it from the perspective of the young people who stayed behind. The courage, it seemed, was in the going. This young woman, Stefanie Preissner, has captured and articulated the courage it takes to stay. I was really, really impressed. If you are interested, you can read more about this performance and her here: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/emigration-stefanie-preissner-585621-Sep2012/
I'm reminded over and over again how what we thought in America was a bad economy, is really so, so much better than what it could be like if the recession was as real there as it is here. For all the talk of how bad it is there, and I'm not minimizing the lack of work that I know continues to bedevil the U.S. economy and people we know and love there; the double dip recession that is here, is frightening. Not only are there no jobs but investments are not performing either so even people with savings continue to be hurt. We had a brief conversation with a woman about our age while we were waiting for the doors to open on the performance. She has three sons and even the suggestion of them emigrating brought tears to her eyes, she knows it's a real possibility that one or more of them will do it. It was really sad.
On a happier note, both Alan and I received copies of the books we worked on the in last year in the mail this week. It was a real pleasure to see them in print. Mine, 10 Lessons for Cultivating Member Commitment is a "best seller". Which in association terms, means has sold over 200 copies since it was published in August. I don't have the numbers for Alan's, Environmental Scanning for Associations. I don't think Alan is really touting this achievement in any event since his area is really fiction. He's been busy working on a play and has joined a writer's group, so that's his main focus.
I've taken two drop-in dance classes already, and will start the more formal set dancing class on Monday. I'm very excited to begin. The drop-in classes are on Wednesday afternoons and so far I've learned a few steps in the jitterbug and the start of a minuet. It's quite a bit more strenuous than it seemed at first but good fun.
Next week we will start going to the plays we've booked in the Dublin Theater Festival, including the first staging of James Joyce The Dubliners with our visitors, Alan's sister and brother in law. We are so looking forward to seeing them.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Well, Notre Dame won the game last Saturday. As expected, I stayed at the tailgate party, put on by Democrats Abroad, just long enough to see the start and eat the burger. We met several new people and I officially joined the American Women's Club of Dublin (AWCD) a cosponsor of the tailgate party. I've heard the game was very good for business in Dublin, there were tons of Americans on the streets. I think both Navy and Notre Dame fans are rabid and rich so coming to Dublin for one game was appropriate for them I guess. Anyway, the Dublin retailers were happy.
I attended a drop-in dance class on Wednesday afternoon and, although it wasn't set dancing (which starts on September 17) it was fun to meet some new people and to learn a new dance, a minuet. I will likely do that on Wednesday afternoons going forward as well as the Monday evening set dancing.
Tonight we are going to hear the President's acceptance speech with a group from the Democrats club. They have arranged for a big screen TV to be set up in a pub in the City Center. Up to now I've been watching the speeches by YouTube the following morning. Prime time in the States is the wee hours of the morning here. I really enjoyed seeing Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton in particular but was also impressed with San Antonio's mayor. He's an up and comer I'd say. As soon as Hispanics become the majority in Texas, I expect that state will move pretty shortly thereafter from red to blue.
This morning, I did a walking tour or Merrion Square, which is a park in the City Center formerly owned by the Catholic Church. Until 1972, the park was locked up and you needed special permission to enter, but in that year the Bishop of Dublin gave the property to the City. It's just amazing the hold the church had on Ireland. I was surprised to learn that it wasn't until the famine (1848) that the church emerged with such political and social power here. Although it didn't do much to help the population and mostly sided with the land owners during the famine, it moved pretty aggressively to take control in the vacuum caused by the decimation of the population as the one entity with an organization. Living here is so interesting. A lot of my myths about Ireland are being burst.
The Dublin Theater Festival begins here on September 25th and we have booked to see 9 plays between September 25 and October 14. Considering that we're going to be on a walking tour in Majorca between October 4th and October 12th, that's a lot of them. On two days we're going to see more than one. For one play, The Dubliners, we will be accompanied by Alan's sister and brother-in-law. It seems a fitting play to share with American visitors. The venue is also one I'm happy with, The Gaiety Theatre, site of the recent performance of Riverdance that we saw. The stage was too small for Riverdance, but the theater is just beautiful and it's the perfect spot for a play.
The upcoming week should be a quiet one. The only thing on my calendar is the first monthly meeting of AWCD, but I expect that I'll keep myself busy nonetheless.
I attended a drop-in dance class on Wednesday afternoon and, although it wasn't set dancing (which starts on September 17) it was fun to meet some new people and to learn a new dance, a minuet. I will likely do that on Wednesday afternoons going forward as well as the Monday evening set dancing.
Tonight we are going to hear the President's acceptance speech with a group from the Democrats club. They have arranged for a big screen TV to be set up in a pub in the City Center. Up to now I've been watching the speeches by YouTube the following morning. Prime time in the States is the wee hours of the morning here. I really enjoyed seeing Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton in particular but was also impressed with San Antonio's mayor. He's an up and comer I'd say. As soon as Hispanics become the majority in Texas, I expect that state will move pretty shortly thereafter from red to blue.
This morning, I did a walking tour or Merrion Square, which is a park in the City Center formerly owned by the Catholic Church. Until 1972, the park was locked up and you needed special permission to enter, but in that year the Bishop of Dublin gave the property to the City. It's just amazing the hold the church had on Ireland. I was surprised to learn that it wasn't until the famine (1848) that the church emerged with such political and social power here. Although it didn't do much to help the population and mostly sided with the land owners during the famine, it moved pretty aggressively to take control in the vacuum caused by the decimation of the population as the one entity with an organization. Living here is so interesting. A lot of my myths about Ireland are being burst.
The Dublin Theater Festival begins here on September 25th and we have booked to see 9 plays between September 25 and October 14. Considering that we're going to be on a walking tour in Majorca between October 4th and October 12th, that's a lot of them. On two days we're going to see more than one. For one play, The Dubliners, we will be accompanied by Alan's sister and brother-in-law. It seems a fitting play to share with American visitors. The venue is also one I'm happy with, The Gaiety Theatre, site of the recent performance of Riverdance that we saw. The stage was too small for Riverdance, but the theater is just beautiful and it's the perfect spot for a play.
The upcoming week should be a quiet one. The only thing on my calendar is the first monthly meeting of AWCD, but I expect that I'll keep myself busy nonetheless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)