I will write ten posts on this 5th Retirement Anniversary addressing each category or "Label." I can also see the stats and which posts have had the most public views. At this time, my blog had 22,400 views. That's about 100 views per week in 18 different countries around the world! It is very rewarding to know that there is interest in what I have to say. By helping myself I must be helping others with similar interests. It is an incentive to continue.
Here are my brief summaries of the first five years of retirement and goal adjustments I want to make at this time. If you want more information on a subject, please scroll down on the right side of the main page and click on the first months in 2011 where you will see where I'm coming from.
My journey continues....
Community and Friends
I became more active in volunteer public service as a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. The transition from working 30 years in salaried public service from a home office and also traveling statewide affecting property values made it easy. At first, I was enthusiastic and put in way more hours than I do now. I wanted to explore many projects and get to know people that are like-minded.
Right now, I am very happy and content with one Master Gardener Service Project, Settlers Village Gardens, in Wheatland, Missouri. I especially like that my husband also became a Master Gardener and together this is our project. I was too involved the first few years by spreading myself out taking over a gardening blog and spending too much time at the greenhouse/vegetable garden project. There was no support from other members and especially the new Extension Specialist in the blog so I quit it and no one else has picked it up. The greenhouse/vegetable garden project turned out to be a money-pit that I lost interest because members involved appeared to me to be more self-serving and interested in fund raising. Competition with local businesses and other service groups in selling plants is not encouraged by the Missouri Master Gardener Program. I am more interested in the community beautification and educational aspect directly. The majority of members appear to prefer the social camaraderie aspect and we are not as like-minded as I thought. I would rather have my hands in the dirt and talk about gardening-related issues rather than gossip. I also am assertive and speak up on what is important to me even if it is not in line with the majority. This has been interpreted as aggressiveness and I am mostly shunned by local members. I have found more commonality with members in other counties which provide wonderful events and educational opportunities! I love working with my husband on our project and attend very few meetings locally; mostly to watch for changes in attitudes. I also put in less volunteer hours and use my time more in my own landscape and personal projects that reflect Master Gardening principles and knowledge. I'm more of a Show-Me Missouri Master Gardener now.
Becoming a Master Naturalist with the Lake of the Ozarks Chapter has been very rewarding! The adjacent county attracts a higher quality and variety of like-minded people. The training requirements, continued education, and number of volunteer hours far exceed that of becoming a Master Gardener. I have grown so much since the first day and want to give back in volunteer projects that are rewarding. I more than double my required volunteer hours each year easily! One of my two main projects is in Citizen Science including Lake of Missouri Volunteer Program (LMVP) which involves collecting/preparing water samples every three weeks for six months at my local Pomme de Terre Lake. The other one is contributing to a national data base (NAAMP) by doing a Frog and Toad Survey once every three months each year at Stockton Lake area in an adjacent county. There was extensive training with an exam to pass to qualify and keep up. Other volunteer projects include a variety of service time for the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance (LOWA) and regular meetings in the adjacent county. I have learned so much from some very impressive individuals and have made some dear friends! I can only hope for more of the same in the future as my ideas are welcomed, the leadership is wonderful, projects are varied and continue to serve the public as well as the natural world and I'm still growing!
Other Community and Friends changes include a big change in my immediate neighborhood. We have lived in this same house 30 years now and raised two children with my husband working a mile away and me in my home office. I have seen up to 6 families come and go in several of the houses during that period. It has gone from a place full of active children to the sadness of losses due to sickness and old age. It has come full circle now and is filling up with young families and active children again! I am so happy especially since I have no grandchildren and miss the energy and joy they bring.
I have been the stable, available friend who seems to put more of the effort in keeping friendships alive. I am always optimistic and not afraid to end or limit time with people who do not put forth similar effort. I have fewer friends these days that I want to call or drop by for a visit. It is a work in progress as I do get lonely but I have found that alone time is also good time. I have embraced my introvert qualities and realize that most people are busy with their own lives and struggles and are full of drama. I love humanity and I love nature. I'm not so fond of human nature these days. I am highly empathetic and have found through experiences that I am much more highly sensitive. Feeling the pain of others and the sorrow of what people do to each other has taken a toll on me all these years. The stress of not letting go affects my diabetes health. It causes me to disconnect from people and events until I can get strong enough again. Most people may see this as a weakness and an opportunity to take advantage. The walls people may perceive or my limited involvement sure doesn't increase my number of friends! I really like who I am and feel free in my retirement to be more of my true self. Facebook came into my life a year before I retired. That social network seems to work well for me. I have increased contacts and feel good about expressing myself to others and can unfollow those that bring in too much drama. I can empathize with others in ways that does not overwhelm me emotionally and therefore I can be healthier and supportive at the same time.
I will continue being involved in the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs as I have a lot to offer in volunteer service and can continue to grow. I may expand in my Church Community. I will enjoy my immediate neighborhood more and be thankful for young people in and around my life. I will continue to put forth the effort to make and cultivate new and old friendships. I will fight the urge to isolate and be cynical by encouraging my optimistic attitude and look for the positive side in people. I will try to be satisfied with just one cat! REALLY love that cat!
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