As some of you know, I have not had an easy time stopping working and retiring. I have threatened to retire since I turned 65 roughly nine years ago. But it seems like there is always one more project to do before I call it quits.
This procrastinating about retirement stems from a couple sources. The first is that I really like what I do as an architect (most of the time). But the second piece is a sense that I want to do things with my time that have "relevancy".
With that in mind, I have been trying on volunteering with various groups. I started with CRAB last year. I have found that has been very fulfilling. I find the experience to be very rewarding in terms of seeing the joy that just being out on the water brings to the kids from less advantaged neighborhoods, elderly folks from retirement homes, and people with disabilities. I also have enjoyed getting to know and working with the CRAB staff and my fellow volunreers. I have learned a lot about what it takes to safely sail with people whose mobilities may be compromised and come to appreciate the care with which CRAB trains and supports its volunteers.
Recently, I have connected with a local Sea Scouts troop, or in the organization's parlance, "Sea Scout Ship". Sea Scouts are one of the Boy Scout's Explorer prorgrams. Growing up, I had been a Boy Scout and my dad had sponsored a Sea Scout Ship in New Jersey, and so I was basically familiar with the Sea Scouts even if I had never done much with them. This was my first outing with the locat Ship. That ship is associated with the Seafarers Yacht Club in Eastport.
I was invited to do a daysail with members of the Ship on one of their two boats (This one is a Tartan 34, but they also have smaller Seafarer). I had not planned to sail with them. I had simply stopped by to try to figure out why their furler wasn't working properly but I ended up sailing with them as an extra set of hands when it became apparent that they would need to raise and lower the jib in its foil rather than being able to furl it.
I genuinely enjoyed the experience. The kids were fun to meet and coach. The adults were interesting people with big hearts. While the boat and sails are a bit ough, it was a lovely sail on a pretty day on the water.
I think that I found another meaningful way to fill some of my time if and when I finally close my office and maybe before.