Weatherwise, we've settled into a dark, chilly, rainy stretch, but that kind of weather doesn't have to take us hostage. Overall, most aspects of my life continue to improve.
I attended a technical writing conference a couple of weeks ago and a seminar on patents and trademarks last week. Both were exciting, not only for the content, but, more particularly, for reconnecting with some dear friends and former colleagues. I did experience a couple of off days after the conference, a result of getting too far out in front of myself, I suspect. The seminar, as I mentioned, was very good and we followed it up with a visit with my wife's cousin in upstate New York. (I tangentially wrote about the trip in this blog post.)
During this stretch, I passed a couple of milestones, including a birthday, which were noted quietly. I've tried to participate in activites, some new, some not, that get me outside of the house and outside of myself.
In a couple of weeks, I plan to attend a high school reunion. I'm really looking forward to seeing a few people. (There are also a few folks I wouldn't mind not seeing. I skipped the reunion 10 years ago. One guy from my high school, and one with whom I share a birthday, ran into Mike and said that if I missed this reunion, he'd kick my ass. That's not the reason I'm going and is almost the reason that I'd decide not to go.)
I'm nervous about it because I don't always do well in crowds and because it may not be easy to explain what I'm doing and why. Folks who coach us in job searches encourage us to develop an elevator statement - Imagine that you meet a hiring manager in an elevator. What would you say about yourself in the small number of minutes that you're in the elevator with that person. So far, here's what I have for the reunion:
While walking, I usually listen to music. This line from Bob Dylan has stayed with me: "Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need."
I attended a technical writing conference a couple of weeks ago and a seminar on patents and trademarks last week. Both were exciting, not only for the content, but, more particularly, for reconnecting with some dear friends and former colleagues. I did experience a couple of off days after the conference, a result of getting too far out in front of myself, I suspect. The seminar, as I mentioned, was very good and we followed it up with a visit with my wife's cousin in upstate New York. (I tangentially wrote about the trip in this blog post.)
During this stretch, I passed a couple of milestones, including a birthday, which were noted quietly. I've tried to participate in activites, some new, some not, that get me outside of the house and outside of myself.
In a couple of weeks, I plan to attend a high school reunion. I'm really looking forward to seeing a few people. (There are also a few folks I wouldn't mind not seeing. I skipped the reunion 10 years ago. One guy from my high school, and one with whom I share a birthday, ran into Mike and said that if I missed this reunion, he'd kick my ass. That's not the reason I'm going and is almost the reason that I'd decide not to go.)
I'm nervous about it because I don't always do well in crowds and because it may not be easy to explain what I'm doing and why. Folks who coach us in job searches encourage us to develop an elevator statement - Imagine that you meet a hiring manager in an elevator. What would you say about yourself in the small number of minutes that you're in the elevator with that person. So far, here's what I have for the reunion:
I've taken early retirement for medical reasons. I'll then go on to talk about my marriage, children, grandchildren, parents and in-laws, and some of my other activities, such as Joseph's Project.My sleep is still irregular. I have an appointment with my primary care physician next week and will ask him about a referral to a sleep specialist. My psychiatrist and I agree that we've done about all that we can with medications at this point, so it's worth looking at other angles.
While walking, I usually listen to music. This line from Bob Dylan has stayed with me: "Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need."
