Retirement passions
(DE) Everywhere you look, on you can read about how retired men and women could – or even ought to – organise their daily lives. Hardly a day goes by without well-meaning advice being offered to pensioners, who are apparently in need of help and guidance, on how to lead a happy and healthy life.
The „Apotheken Umschau“ deserves a special mention here. This immensely popular publication, also known amongst senior citizens as Rentnerbravo, is a veritable source of inspiration. It offers tips for the body (exercise right up to the grave!), the mind (I learn something new every day, but I never stop learning!) and the soul (human beings need social contact!).
But in my search ways for meaningful ways of spending my own retirement, I also scoured my social circle for role models, both international and national, aged between 60 and 70.
I found the first ones amongst my circle of acquaintances.
No. 1: John – the die-hard Brit! He moved to the Sauerland at the age of 60 for love and now lives with his wife in a former factory owner’s villa with 600 square metres of living space and 2,000 square metres of land.
He bought this villa solely to have enough space for his passion.
That passion is loudspeakers of all kinds, which he builds himself. Two-thirds of the villa’s three storeys are filled with cables, power strips, speakers, various tools and measuring instruments. As he moves through the house, he automatically gives his muscles a workout, as there are three levels and a vaulted cellar to navigate. In the music room, painted red, then he can relax on the chaise longue revelling in the heavenly realms of subtle tones, whose finest nuances are beyond the hearings of the likes of us. Of course, the listed building, the fallen trees and the ever-growing grass also demand his attention and physical fitness.
No. 2: Pierre – the laissez-faire Frenchman! Pierre moved from Paris to the Ruhr region. He lives with his wife in a detached house with a large garden.
After breakfast, he immediately settles into his comfortable leather armchair, tears out the Sudoku and crossword page from the newspaper, puts his feet up, and already gives his brain a workout.
His morning exercise consists of heading into the adjoining study to play Scrabble on his computer. His mind is exercised; his body drags itself to the gym once a week. He avoids his grandchildren; they disturb his peace and concentration. As far as he is concerned, he considers his job done, because he has passed on his genes and that’s that!
No. 3: Werner – the fighter! Werner lives in a house in a small housing estate in Munich.
He has decided not to make life quite so easy for his fellow human beings. He has dedicated himself to Munich’s transport policy and environmental protection.
His passion is fighting for cycle paths and reporting cars parked on the pavement to the police, which certainly doesn’t lead to positive social interactions.
He treats jumping in front of speeding vehicles on his street as a form of fitness training. He holds on to the frightened drivers until the police arrive and report him for coercion.
His collection of criminal charges is considerable.
No. 4: Peter – the collector! Peter has settled down in a small village in the south of France.
He bought three dilapidated properties on the cheap – with leaky roofs and crumbling ceilings – which he intents to renovate himself bit by bit during his retirement. But the heat is bringing his work to a standstill. So he has a good reason to retreat to his already renovated, cool castle with its four-metre-thick walls and indulge in his passion: collecting bottle caps! From a room specially dedicated to this purpose, he fetches his 35,000 bottle caps, sorts them, examines them lovingly, browses the bottle cap exchange and takes pleasure in the collector’s items he owns.
That’s all he needs to be happy and content. His wife occasionally travels from Munich on the Flixbus to inspect the ruins.
Unfortunately, despite all my research I haven’t yet come across a suitable role model.
I’d be delighted to hear any suggestions and am also open to unconventional ideas. (GeGo)
