Nana Celebrates the 1st Anniversary of Benchmark 60

One year ago I made a resolution to blog for at least three months.  Last week marked the one year anniversary of my blog!  You can read my pathetic first post here. 

I started to blog to give myself something to do in retirement and to document that journey.  It has been a year of blogging and this is what I've learned:

• I still don't know what I'm supposed to be doing in retirement, but it doesn't bother me much anymore.  I'm content puttering around the house, traveling occasionally, and substituting infrequently.
• Just because I have more free time in retirement doesn't mean that I am any more productive.  It just takes me twice as long to get anything done and I have lost the skill of multi-tasking.
• I have made new friends in blog world and my cyber-friends feel as real to me as my other friends.
• I've stopped worrying about maintaining a theme in my blogs and just write what I want to write about.
• The blog has given me new eyes.  I find myself constantly searching for blogable content.
• I feel connected to other bloggers and I have been surprised to have so much in common with others, especially other women my age. 
• I find it easier to express myself in writing than in person.  Even though I know that I am not really anonymous, it's sort of like talking in the dark...easier to get my feelings out because I can't see you.

It has been a year of learning and I haven't even considered not continuing to blog.  I am grateful to all of you who have followed, friended, and read my blog.  I look forward to the next year.  Thanks to all of you for your support.

Jann aka Nana

Nana Faces Reality

I got into one of those stupid war of words with a youngster on a blogger forum.  She was complaining about not getting a check for her junior college financial aid and having to fill out a form to receive it on a debit card, and after clicking a button to "complete later" the money still wasn't there and it's just so unfair!  I told her to get a grip and jump through the hoops to get her free government money.  Okay, I also said that anyone who couldn't figure out how to fill out the forms might not be college material.   

There was a time that college kids were grateful for scholarships and financial aid but now they treat it as an entitlement.  She wrote back that I was OLD and college has changed and adults just don't understand how hard it is now.  Like I said, it was a stupid little exchange.  But, it did make me stop and question...Am I that OLD?

I don't feel old.  The reality is that I have an AARP card in my wallet and I qualify for the senior discount at many stores.  I have grandchildren and I collect a pension, but not social security.  I'm still learning new things every day.

It has been less than 10 years since I last took a graduate level college course.   Have things changed that much?   I think that you get out of college what you put into it.  So much of the value of a college education depends on how much the participant invests in the experience.  I've known some  uneducated people who went to college...and four years later they were just as dense as when they started.  On the other hand, college can be a life altering experience if the student is open to new ideas and experiences.  I've also know some highly intelligent and wise people who had little formal schooling.

A college education is not just about what is presented in a classroom.  It is the exchange of ideas with other students from diverse backgrounds.  It is living on your own and accepting responsibility for your own learning.  For many students, college is adulthood with training wheels.  And one of the things you learn how to do is jump through the hoops to get what you want. 

So, yes, I guess I am old and I have a wealth of experience that isn't much valued these days.  But, I do have a graduate degree and my student loans were paid off long ago...and I'm smart enough not to get into anymore of these online pissing matches with kids.   I didn't learn that in college.  I try to learn from my mistakes.

The Top 5 Things I Wonder How I Ever Lived Without

I could fill this list with just technology. How did we ever live without cell phones, computers, the internet? But, once in awhile, in the middle of an every day task, I will stop and recognize satisfaction or a little burst of pleasure…delight in the ordinary.



1. Pizza cutter: I had never owned a pizza cutter until I bought one recently at the dollar store. The nice thing about the dollar store is that if the item doesn’t work out, you’re only out a dollar. I threw caution to the wind and tossed a pizza cutter in my shopping cart. For years I have been cutting my home-baked pizza with a large kitchen knife. Now my dollar store pizza cutter slides across the crust and I cut it into even slices with a minimum of effort. Luxury for just a dollar!


2. Underwear that fits: I suppose most people have underwear that fits. Several years ago I had gastric bypass surgery. I lost a lot of weight. Little by little I had purchased a whole new wardrobe, except for underwear. My old underwear was still serviceable; why waste money to replace it? One day I went shopping with a friend and she caught a glimpse of my bloomers and burst out laughing. I bought new underwear. I don’t know why I held on to the oversized undies for so long. Perhaps I was resisting letting go of the old self image, perhaps I’m just cheap. Undies that fit are a good thing.



3. Heated leather seats in my car: I love, love, love heated leather seats. I splurged when I bought my car back in 2004. I had never had heated seats and now I will never buy a car that doesn’t have them. As the weather grows colder this fall, I am looking forward to driving with a warm butt.

4. Slurpees: I love them. If there were a diet coke slurpee, the world would be a better place.


5. My blog: I’ve gotten so much pleasure from writing regularly and getting responses from my blogging buddies. My blog opened a whole new world to me and I have enjoyed “meeting” new people and learning about so many new things.

 Once I started making a list it was hard to stop. There are so many simple, everyday things that I enjoy. One of the great things about the slower pace of retirement is having time to reflect and take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of every day life.

What I've Learned So Far

Making the commitment to write a blog was a big step for me. I spent a lot of time looking at other blogs and being intimidated. Everyone else has well designed and organized blogs with strong points of view. Everyone writes so well, sharing themselves with poignancy and depth. Everyone else has something important to say, and they say it with humor and insight. I visited a blog that focuses on what one mother is cooking. She has these beautiful pictures of the Christmas cookies she made. Not only can't I produce a quality blog, but my Christmas cookies aren't works of art either. Maybe producing a blog isn't such a good idea...I'm not worthy.

I'm dazzled by the bloggers who can so freely share their innermost thoughts, and then I read one of those how to articles that warns not to share too much information. Now I'm confused and not worthy.

I've read several posts about how to choose a good name for a blog and the need to narrow the focus. I spent some time coming up with great ideas for blog names…unfortunately someone else already grabbed these good names. Great, now I’m neither original nor worthy! I suppose it is all good advice, but I decided that if I spent my time figuring the details out, I'd never get anything written. Besides, no one is reading this but me. I only need to please myself.

Writing the blog has already forced me to grow. I hear the lion whispering “courage” in my ear. The rest I will sort out later. The important thing is to start and that’s the life lesson that has been reinforced for me. Someday I will be worthy.

…and I can always edit, right?