This last trip to Indy left me absolutely wrung out,,, lots of happy things and lots of sad things. Too much emotion. I hope I don't have to think too hard about anything any time soon.
One thing I really need to concentrate on, though, is my game plan for the next 20 years. Flygirl and I had a brief conversation about what we wanted to do. However we quickly left reality to flirt with ideas that would get us put in jail.
Since the last 60 years went so fast, and most of the folks who raised my generation are sliding down a slippery slope, I think it's high time I got serious with my plan.
If my goals are to 1) do something meaningful 2) do something that allows for maximum creativity and minimum supervision 3) something that makes a little money 4) but doesn't cut into my time for important family things, 5)and something that doesn’t allow me to live past 76 (but no pain involved in checking out earlier). What is the answer?
Some people feel you have to start with your passion. What is my passion? Heck, I'm 60ish, how much passion counts? Getting my heart rate above 80? Staying awake past 10 or getting up before 6?
Okay, let’s get serious. What are your thoughts? What can you add to this list of maybes?
1. Business owner (cat or dog "hotel")
2. Fund raiser for ASPCA
3. Fund raiser for organizations that support orphanages
4. Pole dancer at Baby Dolls
5. Uniform designer for NBA and the US military
6. Reality Police for Hollywood
7. Grass mower for folks with big yards (riding lawn mowers only, please)
It's easy to see I really need some help here. Don't be shy. Pull out the stops and let that brain storm loose.
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8 comments:
How flexible do you want to be?
Most businesses would require you to be "married" to them. If you go that route, try to stay away from something that would tie you to a "brick and mortar" structure...... we want you to be able to attend whatever mini is in progress without having to worry about your business.
I'm lookin' forward to hearing GH's comments on the Cat or Dog hotel idea. My take, having been involved intimately with animals in a past life, is that it is wonderful in short spurts, but emotionally draining over the long haul. Maybe the hotel situation wouldn't be so bad, because you'd at least be dealing mostly with healthy animals...... but remember GH's story about, was it Mrs. Tearman's Cat? I'll have to go to her blog and review it. Anyway, even the hotel idea would have its pitfalls.
Exotic dancing would keep you in great physical shape, and you'd no doubt live forever. If you take this route, we'll schedule a mini around your debut to give you moral support!
I like the fund-raising idea, and a thought occurred to me:
That's something we could also do as a class, isn't it? If you'd like to get the ball rolling now, I suspect there are several of us that might be willing to lend a hand..... "many hands make light work". The class of '65 has been SO special, wouldn't it be wonderful to share our good fortune by joining together to give back to others?
We'll have to come up with a "handle" for our venture.....
"'65 ALIVE" comes immediately to mind.
We'd have to work on that.
This assumes you'd like to share your thunder, PT, and that may be an incorrect assumption. If so, forgive me for even starting down this path.
But if you decide on lawn mowing, I have a lawn mower that covers a lot of real estate to bring down and help with that venture!
Personnally, I would think the pole dancing. I've never been on stage and what a way to start. Don't know if you have or not but we would definitely be there for all the moral support you need.
The idea of our class doing a fundrasier. As I'm in the process of one right now I can offer some advise. It's a lot of hard work and its not over yet. Another thought is each donating what they can through the year and at christmas give it to different charities, select a needy family and take that family out to buy needed items and tops for kids or homeless shelters. The list could go on forever.
I'm an animal lover so the Pet Hotel would not be bad as you would not get attached to that pet and have to suffer with its loss. If you wanted to take a vacation just let customers know during that week or two you are booked.
Owning your business would not be my first choice of these unless you have several employees working for you & you don't have to deal with them on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong I love working for myself and I love what I do. I have to take my vacations when I have the chance and not when I would like to or whenever everyone would like for me too. It has to be planned around the not so busy time of the year. Then when you have employees you have to deal with all the bickering & whinning among them.
Whatever you decide to do I'm sure you will be a great success as you have proven in all you do.
Our very brief "head to head" about: what can I do for the next 20 years has haunted me since my departure from the Mini! Regardless of what doctor's waiting room I've been lounging in or which telephone line is ringing or blinking with stupid questions awaiting me or mini vans filled with white-haired "pointers" turning left in front of me from the far right lane, etcetera, etcetera... I'm still haunted by our question to each other: "What do you WANT to do?"
OMG! Please let me think of something fun, profitable, worthwhile and not terribly tiring!
From my past experiences & jobs, there are several things that are definitely OUT!!! But some of my past experiences have left positive, even lasting impressions on my soul.
I need to make my list of possibilities. I do have a really bizzare fantasy that I'll "share" (I really dislike using that word):
I'd like to have the "gift" of communicating with people that have "passed". You know, kind of John Edwards stuff. How cool would that be? But alas, I don't think that I have any sort of "gift" and I'm not sure if "gifted" people really do exist. But it's fun to watch that kind of stuff. Guess I just like to see people happy.
I'm also thinking that writing a book could be the Golden Ticket to nirvana. At least you wouldn't have to have employees working for you and you could work in your jammies & fuzzy slippers and never have to wear make up or worry about looking old or fat...
Seriously, a gay friend of mine and I started a book several years back. Too bad that we didn't make it work...it was a good idea and had potential! Oh Well...
I think that I've had my share of fundraisers. I've worked for too many Not-For-Profit Organizations! UGH! Nothing is ever given without strings attached...trust me!
However, I do have an itch to promote stem-cell research! Now...don't any of you think I'm a baby killer...Please don't jump me over this admission. We all have the right to our opinions, right?
I'll move on...I'll make my passion list and maybe a miracle will happen and the big light bulb will pop on.
More later on this subject...hum?
One of the things I love best about re-connecting with classmates is the ready-made network of immeasurable talent and experience; so much information can be gleaned from life-long friends.
You’ve given me so many good ideas but I have no intension of stopping the conversation any time soon! I love thinking about all the possibilities.
One scary realization crossed my mind last night, though. Let’s say we have 20 years left – a short amount of time to be sure. BUT will the last 10 or the last five really count for much? Honestly, when I look at our parents and teachers in their mid 80s,,, well, I don’t think I’m brave enough to go there, ya know? I just don’t think it looks like fun.
SO lets say I plan to stop having fun in my mid 70s, my 20 years has just become 15! Man oh man! I’ve really got to get on a stick if I hope to do something meaningful! Heck 15 years ago was Dessert Storm and that’s seems like yesterday.
I’m feeling like it’s the end of the semester and I’ve just now looked at the syllabus! Holy Cow! AND a massive term paper is due! AND graduation is mandatory,,, well, leaving “school” is mandatory. Jeez Louise, what the heck have I been doing with my time!?!?!
Okay, let me make a list (I always feel better if I make a list even if the list is just a hodgepodge)
1. Tapping into Vandy’s Kids for charitable projects is a great idea
2. Perhaps we could choose a different charity every year
3. Writing is something I enjoy (sort of). Folks really got a kick from my Iraq emails; some people still remark about them and want to read more! Of course their content was made up from whole clothe,, total fiction.
For one thing, I was afraid the enemy might read our emails plus I really didn’t think the folks at home wanted to know too much about a Baghdad emergency room.
There were some heart warming, tender things that happened but I keep them like a box of gems I pull out an look at from time to time; just don't know how to talk about them.
4. Writing with a partner would make it more fun (the lady who writes Stephanie Plum novels did her best work with a co-author)
5. Keeping goals simple will make projects seems doable
6. Making money doing one thing will allow me to donate funds to something else
7. I forgot that I really don’t like to ask people for money. Getting them to donate funds while they are having fun,,, yeah, that’s the ticket
8. I must set aside at least four hours a day to write, starting with a story outline.
9. First I have to think of a story! Figuring out a subject would be a good idea, too
10. I think I have to forget the gig at Baby Dolls. The stage would have to be re-enforced, the pole would have to be industrial strength, and the customers would have to be blind. I don’t think it’s a viable idea.
One other thing Flygirl: I agree with you about stem cell research. I’m not a expert on the subject but as I understand it, the stem cells by themselves could NEVER become a baby.
On the other hand, when a couple undergoes in vitro fertilization, MANY ova are fertilized. If all are viable and allowed to go to term, the woman would have a litter; it’s considered poor medical management to allow that.
To avoid the litter, some of the embryos are removed and discarded.
It just seems odd to me that some folks get all lathered up about one topic but not the other. But then, I stay confused about so many things.
Don’t stop adding suggestions for my next 20,,,, er I mean 15!
Holy Crap! I’ve got to get busy!
PT
You are a riot and such a blessing to read. You brought up some great things though.
After living here for some time now, I have become so aware of how fragile this big ole ocean really is. Without it, we cease.
The warming, the reefs being destroyed, the little critters been eliminated is a huge thing.
Just last week we lost a 5 month old monk seal, very dangerous to being extinct, to a fisherman's gill net, left in the same place to long and not checked. So many stories there. What President Bush has done to preserve the NorthWest islands is nothing but wonderful. There is a great show on PBS about it. So deep in my heart, anything to do with saving our oceans is very dear.
As for your book, I too, start taking notes several years ago, after coming home night after night with funny stories about people and restaurants. The family was begging me to write one. But, alas, the time wasn't there, then. But maybe if nothing else, you could keep a wonderful journal to pass around. I would love to read about your travels and experiences.
As for charities, we don't have a steady one, but one year for Christmas we realized, we really don't need much more at this stage of our lives. So we decided to donate our normal Christmas money to buying Christmas gifts for a troop. We found a cool website that even had a shopping list and they did all the rest of the work.
You can choose what branch, man, woman, even location of where they are stationed and leave a note if you choose to. After reading all the notes on the site of gratitude, I knew it had been well worth it.
You are such a giving person, I know you will find the right thing for you that just fits right.
Oh, yeah, give up that pole idea, I wouldn't want to have to call the doc.
I know that this part of our lives is passing by at warp speed and I think our class has done much to make it a nicer place.
I just have to add one more comment about stem cell research.
For all the American's who feel stem cell research is immoral, I invite them to think about the hundreds of other places in the world that have no such qualms.
India, Pakistan, China, just to name a few places, are probably already deep into the study.
My guess is that if they find that stem cells can actually be used to stop many diseases, there will be a stampede of folks from American ready to "do the stem cell thing".
Good grief, if it would help Michael J Fox, I'll take him there myself!
I'm just not sure we need Federal funding to do the research. Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Bill Gates (to name three) have tons of money and are very well versed in scientific research.
They can do it in Canada or Mexico or even Fiji if they want to and can reap all the profits without Uncle Sam's hand in the works.
I think stem cell research is a non-issue ,,, except for the guys who like to yell on TV.
Yeah, the yelling is irritating...
Particularly by Fox, who has now admitted he hasn't even read the amendment he is supporting in Missouri!
What a farce.
Hello - Pole Dancing???? Next mini? Did I miss something at the last one? I knew I left Vandy's place too soon. Dollar bills OK?
Don't expect me to sit up front. They don't allow me to do that anymore!
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