August 12, 2026

My brother and I had an interesting conversation about retirement when he was visiting over this past weekend. He is leaning towards retiring in two years at the age of 62. I lean towards my normal Social Security retirement age of 67. (Although, if I did retire early, it would be on the day I win the lottery.) Coincident with our conversation, I received a column this morning from the Rev. Phillip Gulley, who also talks about his own retirement. (The full column – actually a sermon he delivered this past Sunday – can be found here.)

Rev. Gulley was asked by a close friend, “What are you going to do?” It’s a good question; however, Rev. Gulley thinks a better question is: “Who do you want to be?” In his retirement, he wants to be:

• Useful
• Open rather than condemning
• Adventurous
• Entertain the possibility that he may be wrong about some people
• Accept his difficulties with a sense of humor
• Accept his age and look it
• To be dependable
• And finally, to be “kind, generous, trustworthy, and mostly good company”

This sounds like a great list for any time in one’s life! I, personally, am grateful to be a part of a community of many retirees. I get to draw on your accumulated wisdom for living and experiencing the golden years.

Rev. Eric