I recently spent some time with an old friend I hadn’t seen for a few years. He’s in his early eighties and moves a little slower than he used to. What hasn’t changed is his positive attitude to life and his desire to make the most of every day.
Not surprisingly, the conversation got around to the advantages and disadvantages of being retired and I asked my friend how he coped with having all this spare time. His answer was “Always have a project that’s a challenge”. His current project certainly fits that description. He used to be a keen sailor and over the last few years he has got involved in building and sailing land yachts – sail powered platforms with 3 wheels, usually seen on deserted beaches.
He and a few mates, who live on the NSW Central Coast, are planning to sail a land yacht up the Strzelecki Track which is a desolate and rugged road between Lyndhurst and Innamincka in the north of South Australia. This group of adventurers are all in their 70s and 80s and this trip through some very rough and dangerous country requires lots of detailed planning. Over the last few months they have built and tested the land yacht and assessed all the challenges the expedition presents. They have another couple of months to sort out the transport and logistics for both the land yacht and support team. It’s obviously a challenging project that has given everyone involved plenty to do and something to look forward to.
This is a great example of how people with a positive attitude can make life in retirement interesting and challenging.
Now this project could be regarded as an extreme example and an expedition through the South Australian desert clearly isn’t for every 70 – 80 year old. However most of us can find interesting projects that offer a challenge and satisfaction on completion. They make life more interesting and make us more interesting to be around.
I suggest that it’s our attitude to life and not the date on our birth certificate that determines how old we really are. Some people are “old” in their 50s while others, like the example above, are living active, interesting lives in their 60s, 70s and 80s.