9 Retirement and Reinvention 255The most difficult issue that I face at this age is being this age (82 next
month).
Almost every day I find it hard to believe that I am this age and that I am
viewed by most of the outside world as an old lady, for I certainly do not feel
like an old lady. Fortunately, I am in excellent health and am lucky enough
to have sufficient money so that I can afford to do most of the things I like to
do, and resourceful enough to find things to do that don’t cost a whole lot of
money. In addition, I am fortunate to have met a man with whom I can share
intimate moments and lots of laughs. The definitive book on how to get older
“successfully” has not yet been written, so I guess most of us have to make
sure we eat right, take care of our teeth, get lots of exercise, find interesting
things to do and good books to read, and have some fun. And yet there is
always a part of me that looks for more and wonders, “What’s next?”Retirement Is Not a Dirty Word
Norma Bolden
Norma grew up in North Carolina. She graduated from Ohio State University and
earned an MEd at Temple University. Prior to retiring she was a counselor in a family
planning clinic, a private girl’s school, and director of counseling at a junior college.
She lives with her husband, Stephen, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and loves
hanging out with her four grandchildren.When I decided to stop working (I had a hard time saying I was retiring), it was
because the work wasn’t fun anymore. Changes had occurred at the college
and the atmosphere was different. I had loved my job as a college counselor.
The students were challenging, energetic, and inspiring. I enjoyed my cowork-
ers, and the college was a 10 minute drive from my home. During the over 10
years I was at Harcum College, a 2-year career and academic institution in the
Philadelphia suburbs, I had worked with first generation to college students,
students with learning differences, traditional and nontraditional aged stu-
dents, and helped them with academic challenges, personal and relationship
issues, supported them when they failed and celebrated their successes. As
my parents aged and passed away, this position, working with young people,
became all the more life affirming. And then in January 2000, I decided I had
enough and resigned. Of course I had been weighing the decision for several
months, but the dead of winter seemed like a good time to stop!
I did contemplate looking for another position, but I didn’t have the inter-
est. I wanted to explore new experiences that would give me freedom to choose
new options and wouldn’t restrict my time. I began training for a 3-day Race for
the Cure breast cancer walk that was scheduled for the fall; we had a new grand-
son on the way, and there were classes that interested me. I didn’t feel scared
exactly about not working, but I knew I would have to discipline myself. Work
had always given me a structure. Now, I had to structure my own day. Meeting
friends for lunch might be fun for a while, but I couldn’t make it my life. In fact,
I set up a rule for myself that read, only two lunches out per week!