Retirement & PCT Thru Hike count down

Subject: Final Farewells & PCT Thru-Hike Count Down – written Circa 2011

Thank you one and all. Last night three of us retirees with the help of many, experienced one of the finest retirement parties imaginable.

Over two hundred friends, families and coworkers showed up to bid us three (Mike, Ralph, Mike) farewell and happy retirement at the LaHabra Country Golf Club; we officially retired over two weeks ago.

And now for the next chapter in life. Like life in general it all comes down to: have we done all that we can to prepare ourselves for that next chapter next goal, activity or start of a new profession?

I now wonder what propels people like me to want to endure the physical hardships of getting up and close to Mother Nature when the easy way of life is waiting back home?

Someone a long time ago in my salesman career bluntly put it this way.

There are basically three types of people in life;

there are those that make things happen;

and then there are those that have things happen to them;

and finally we are left with those people that just wonder what happened?

And the obvious answer to the above would be, now which one are you?

Perhaps nature and time alone in the woods, mountains or oceans or with those sharing that common goal, activity or profession is just what we are all searching for – I don’t yet know but, I’m willing to go on this walk about in the hopes of finding out.

And unlike many things in life like work or relationships with family you only get One Shot in Life – And No Do-Overs.

I DONT BELIEVE IN THE – if I had to live my life over again I would start walking barefoot earlier; stop to smell the roses sooner or pick daisies.

Life for those that figure it out early as I see it today comes down to making good choices early on.

And for those that do ….. they just continue taking down one goal after the other, after the other, after the other ……..

and then one day you stop and suddenly realize – oh shit, who’s that old person staring back at me in the mirror.

You guys called it right last night – I do have this passion for work and life! And thank you for pointing that out, I didn’t really stop to think about it, ‘cause I was too busy just plugging away.

Days till I start my PCT thru-hike – 61 and counting.

And thank you for stopping by!

See you on the trail!

Trawlercat

PS: I really only envisioned doing three (3) things when I retired.

1) Preparing or Planning for Expeditions;

2) Away on the actual Expedition;

or 3) Recovering from the Expedition and then starting the cycle all over again.

Unfortunately, life comes at you faster and more complicated than that. To make things way easier and not stress I just changed my frame of mind post retirement – to the following two thoughts –

it’s only money and

2) only worry about the here and the now.

See you on the Trail

Trawlercat