The Sad, Woe Begotten Saga of How the Mad Retiree became a Bird Watcher

Or

The Tale of the Accidental Birder

This is the story of how I became a bird watcher. 

During my many years of pre-retirement existence, bird watching was an activity about which I had no opinion and quite frankly, had given even less thought to.

But now here I am – setting my alarm clock two mornings a week, running out of the house by 8:10 a.m. at the latest, lugging a camera (Canon XS 30 – 30 times zoom lens), a pair of binoculars (10 x 50 zoom), a copy of Birds of Eastern North America – A Photographic Guide (mainly because my copy of Sibley’s Guide to Birds  is too heavy, the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America is too thick, and the Compact Guide to Ontario Birds not detailed enough), with a pocketful of sunflower seeds in case I meet any hungry chick-a-dees.

Bird watching as a now cherished retirement hobby was not on my “to do” list.  All I knew about birds was not to park the car under a hydro wire. 

But what was on my retirement list was photography.  And in my ear, the nagging and persistent voices of a collection of medical professionals intoning that a woman of my age needed to get more exercise.  So walking through the park photographing various flora and fauna and the odd bird that happened to hop my way seemed like a workable compromise.

On perhaps the second or third day of my retirement, I packed up my cameras, made myself a sippy cup of tea and headed out to the Riverwood Conservancy.

On this particular trip to the Conservancy, I notice a “schedule of events” nailed to the post of a bird feeder (the bird feeders in the park are now my prime source of information for upcoming park events!)  The schedule listed a “Bird Watching Hike, Monday and Wednesday mornings, ideal for beginners and experts alike”.

Now as I have mentioned, repeatedly, bird watching as an organized group activity was not something I had ever aspired to.  But at that point, that bird watching hike met all of the retirement criteria I had laid out for myself:

- “The List” – photography was on my carefully organized and crafted retirement list.  It was my interest in photography that had brought me to the park in the first place.

- Though it was never written out in so many words, retirement was not only supposed to afford me the time to pursue already established interests and hobbies, retirement was also supposed to give me the opportunity to pursue new interests and hobbies – an opportunity for personal growth.

- Also not officially on “the list”, retirement would give me the opportunity to meet some new interesting and interested people.  Well, bird watchers were guaranteed to be new and interesting people!

- Networking – since the initial hike was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, the chances were pretty good that everyone else on the walk was going to be a retiree as well.  If you’re new to this retirement gig, who better to give you some pointers than another retiree!

- Rebuilding a daily schedule - for that first Monday at least, I had an appointment written down in my calendar.

- Exercise – who among us wouldn’t benefit from a little (more) exercise? 

- Fresh air – I had just spent 30+ years, forty hours a week inside an office building.  Now I was fighting the urge to spend my days on the couch with the remote.  And there is going to come a time, much sooner than most of us planned for or believe will come, when it is no longer going to be physically possible to get out of house and into the sunshine.  Quite frankly, that bird watching hike was beginning to sound better and better.

… but the most important consideration of all …

- The hike was free to all comers!

Not that any of these thoughts were actually going through my head at the time (except perhaps for the fact that the hike was free!)  If I was being perfectly honest, I do believe my plan was to sign up for the hike just so I could get into the park with a guide, learn about all of the trails, suss out the best photographic and scenic sweet spots, and then drop out of the group.

Well, what can I tell you! 

I have learned to identify a double-crested cormorant by sight, a white breasted nuthatch by song, and a Cooper’s hawk in flight.

I actually own all of the birding guides listed above.

And every Monday and Wednesday morning, “bird watching hike” is written down in my calendar.

The moral of the story – mad retiree tip #3 - do not mock the list.   

It was my list (my interest in photography) that took me to the park in the first place – and then proceeded to blind-side me with a new hobby.  Not only a new hobby, but new people, and a fun and interesting personal growth opportunity. 

And the knowledge that there are bird species that actually fly south to the GTA for the winter!  (One of us has completely failed to grasp the concept of “going south for the winter”!)

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Recommended reading:
- an interesting article from the June 5th Toronto Star.  (I hope the link works - first time I have attempted this in a blog ...) - "Stress doesn't necessarily end just because you're retired."

www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/retirement/2014/06/05/five_top_stressors_in_retirement_and_how_to_cope.html  

The Host(ess) With the Mostest!

For somewhat the same reason that it may not be possible for “work” friends to remain “friends”, you may find that “friend friends” may not translate into retirement playmates either. 

Simply because they are still working full-time and you are not.

Which may mean, the onus for maintaining and making new social contacts falls to you.

Part of your retirement job description now includes the title “social convener”. 

You may have to take the initiative and organize lunch dates with friends and former colleagues during the work week (keeping in mind that they can only be away from the office for an hour).  You may have to be the one to arrange playdates with friends and family on the weekends (keeping in mind that they are trying to squeeze errands and laundry into their weekend schedules.) 

And you may have to bear the responsibility for organizing play dates with friends and acquaintances for some time to come.  Especially if you are not really totally comfortable with going to or participating in events “alone”.  Do keep in mind however, if you sign up for an activity you already have an interest in, the only “strangers” you are going to meet are a group of people with the same interests as you!  (Don’t make me tell my bird watching story!)

But as much as you might enjoy it, retirement cannot be an endless round of social engagements. There were other activities on your “list”, weren’t there? 

Notice how we keep circling back to the “list”?

You’ve had your first successful foray into a post-retirement activity.  And you’ve lunched with former colleagues.  A lunch date which has actually afforded you a bit of closure.

Now it’s time to seriously start concentrating your time and energy on crossing items off your “list”! 

It’s time to start constructing that retirement career you told everyone you wanted.

…. and for those of us who worked at Ryerson, especially in an academic department, you may already have a bit of retirement foundation in place.  With a little bit of pre- and post- retirement planning, Ryerson may be able to provide you with play dates and daily structure after you retire.  If you worked in an academic department, there are awards nights, lectures, tour and discussion day presentations, etc. happening on a regular basis.  Heck, you probably spend a lot of your time at Ryerson organizing some, if not all, of these events, all the while desperately wishing for some volunteer assistance.  Well, you just got your wish.  Only you’re the volunteer assistance now.  Have a chat with your department before you retire to see if there are any volunteer opportunities available.

How about volunteering at Convocation?   

A Ryerson alum?  How about organizing a class reunion? 

Don’t actually want to “work” on campus …..

…. Farmer’s Market every Wednesday from now until Thanksgiving

… Mattamy Athletics Centre - Rams hockey, basketball, volleyball tickets available at reduced rates to Ryerson employees and alum

…. and what about the Ryerson Image Centre?  Admission is free to all – you don’t have to be a Ryerson employee or an alum!

Perhaps hanging around your former place of employment is not the most conventional way to begin your retirement career – but one of the keys to making a success of any undertaking is to play to your strengths and take advantage of any opportunities that come your way.  And for some, keeping in touch with Ryerson and/or the campus may be just that opportunity.

But if you’d rather not …. you still have your list!!!!