Category Archives: Retirement

My patio—A place to sit, relax and contemplate

On Planning for and Enjoying Retirement

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After twenty-two years in the US pharmaceutical industry, I was laid off. I remember that day very well— a bleak winter morning rendered bleaker by the verdict, a devastating blow. No job, no regular pay checks, no routine or fixed schedule in my life. How will I manage? It was disorienting.

What should I do now, I pondered.  Get another job? With my background and experience that would not be too difficult. But, do I want to? Same old, same old did not appeal to me. Why not try something different. But what? Decisions, decisions!

On my patio with a book and a drink.
Relaxing on my patio with a book under the flowering Japanese Cherry tree in spring.
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Schofield Covered Bridge, Tyler State Park, Bucks County, PA.

A Walk, Fall Foliage and the Schofield Covered Bridge, Tyler State Park, PA.

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It was October— Fall, my favorite season. The air was crisper, the sky bluer and the trees beginning to change color. I kept a wary eye on the trees and the prognostications on TV and newspapers on the best times to view Fall colors and where. So, when I read in the Bucks County Courier Times that it was time to visit Tyler State Park for the seasonal bonanza, I got into my car and headed over.

At the Schofield Covered Bridge, Tyler Park, PA.
At the Schofield Covered Bridge, Tyler Park, PA.

Tyler State Park covering 1711 acres of woodland, meadows, hiking and horse riding trails in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has another prime attraction, the Schofield Covered Bridge.

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Stepping out from the office into the open.

When to Work and When Not To

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Photo caption: From within four walls of my office into the open air, into the sunlight.

Photos: Ranjan Mukherjee. Left, at work in my office. Right, in the open, in retirement.

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. —Ecclesiastes

Over the holidays, while having a good time with friends and family, I wondered why people feel the need to continue working when they do not have to. What compels them? COVID-19 has made us rethink what we value most in life. People enjoyed working from home spending more time with their families. Why not take it a step further? Make ‘family’ the center of our lives, not ‘work’. So, why don’t they?

Let’s start with a simple, basic question—what makes a person happy?

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