RECYCLING OUR MEMORIES

The times - they are a changing. ( OK - I borrowed that line! ) But I'm getting old. And when I was young I remember my parents Helen and Mickey trying to raise 5 kids. Could I do that myself now - hell no! But they did it!!! And I'm quite sure I didn't appreciate how they did it at the time, but I'm older now and have a better acceptance for the daunting task they were faced with and how they managed to pull it off.

They grew up in a time when you didn't throw anything out. I can remember Dad adding water to the "empty" Ketchup bottle to get the last drops. ( He was the only one that would use it though  ) As children of my parents we were granted a different economic time eventually - one of convenience perhaps privileged and certainly one that was "disposable".

We grew up in a time when it was cheaper to buy another of something than it was to fix the original. The concept seemed good - at the time. But now - the times have changed again. The concept hasn't - it's still cheaper to buy another of something, but we recycle now. We can turn plastic bottles into petroleum. 

Ways to Recycle Our World in Retirement!

I’m 65 years old.  Back in the 50s and 60s, when I was growing up, finances were often tight for my parents.  Even as the oldest sibling, I wore “homemade” clothes or hand-me-downs.  I was lucky enough to have a neighbour with a daughter a little older than me, so when she grew out of things, I got them.

Places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill were there for people who were really needy.  They could get free clothes as needed but gradually others came in and wanted to buy things they saw.  Donations were taken at first but gradually the retail second hand stores became common.

When I first got married, every piece of furniture we owned was a hand-me-down including our bed.  I remember having to put a piece of plywood under the cushion of the couch after we had a good friend get stuck falling through.  Friends went into debt buying a brand new household full of furniture.  We didn’t.  I can’t ever remember my parents buying new furniture either.

When our son was about 3 years old we bought him a “captain’s” bed. We also broke down and purchased a new couch.  A year later, we got our daughter a brand new single bed, which she still had when she moved out years later.  I remember how tiny she looked in the bed!  Waterbeds were all the rage so we had to get one.

5 Ways to be Positive in Retirement

After the age of 65 we experience so many more life-changing moments.  Unfortunately, a lot of these are health related.  One of the main reasons for this is our generation is living much longer than the last generation.  A larger percentage of the older population are recovering from what used to be life-threatening illnesses.

I remember a time when just the word “cancer” scared the hell out of everyone.  Now, if the cancer is dealt with early and aggressively, it is often forced into remission.  

Attitude has a lot to do with surviving cancer too.  I was talking with a long time friend the other day.  She started her chemo treatments recently and was sounding pretty weak and her energy level was definitely down.  We talked a little bit about how she was feeling physically and emotionally and then changed the subject. 

Before long we were reminiscing and giggling about the past.  Taking a journey down memory lane is often the best way to get out of the blues and back to reality.  

What are some of the other ways to get positive?