Retirement Reflections

 I love retirement, only wish could have done it from I was around thirty. 

Poverty sucks. 😑

I just realized I have not been blogging about my retirement which started in 2016 when I left my radio talk-show program on Power 106 in Jamaica and moved to the USA. 

You see, most of my family were already there so I eventually gave in to the constant nagging to join them!

A section of the magnificent Rocky Mountains

In retrospect, I enjoyed talk radio so much that I never realized how stressful it was until I retired.

 Lots of people think one just talks off the cuff on radio, but it takes a great deal of preparation as one never knows what a caller is coming with. So, you spend a great deal of time reading, watching and listening to current affairs etc. Now I don't have to do that anymore, life is so much easier. And with Trump out of the way, the news is often quite boring anyway, so I am happy I no longer have to pay much attention to the daily occurrences worldwide!😊

Well for retirement, I set off to Colorado to be with my daughter and granddaughter, forgetting that it just snows too much there. (Up to this week, mid-May it's snowing!😟). 

Yes, Colorado is an extraordinarily beautiful state with mountains, rivers valleys to die for. But I gave up snow decades ago, on fleeing from similar weather in Toronto, Canada.

With my fellow cyclists before heading to the hills. 

I am just not a clothes person. In fact, the less I have to wear, the happier I am. 

There was therefore no way that I was going to spend the rest of my life weighted down under a pile of clothes! 

So, we decided that Florida would be a better option.

Living in Jamaica which is just an hour and half flight to Miami, I thought I was familiar with that state. For I had to go there on occasion to buy basic supplies when the damn communists tried to take over my lovely island in the 70's, so we ended up having severe shortages of the most basic foods.

Also, Miami was where one had to fly to from Jamaica, to make most airline connections to other states and even for international flights.

The theory therefore was that since the weather in Florida was good, I would resume my great outdoor life which involved, hiking and cycling in the mountains and valleys and bathing in the rivers.

With Jennifer, the consummate outdoors person

On arriving in Florida, the first thing I did was to buy a bicycle, only to discover to my horror that Florida has no hills for me to ride up then fly down into the valleys. 

What a shock, not one mountain or valley in sight.

So, my bicycle is nothing but a souvenir now.

The next best thing to do therefore was to try and link up with a hiking group.

At least, there I struck gold. For when I joined the closest "Meet Up" hiking group, I got connected to Jennifer Weise, probably the most knowledgeable outdoors person in the state.

No, we never get to hike up any mountains in Florida, but I sure got to visit a number of their more attractive parks and learned a great deal about the state.

On a recent glamping trip to Hontoon Island in Northern Florida earlier this year, Jennifer virtually saved my life too! For being always unprepared for cold weather, when the temperature there dropped to the 50's, she had a sleeping bag and electric blanket ready to rescue me. (Joan, my views: Hontoon island and more (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Lyming with friends after Zumba at Water's Edge Park

Choosing the city of Tamarac to reside in, proved to be a wise move too. 

To begin with, it sits about halfway between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami international airports, so since much of my retirement is committed to travelling as much as I can afford, I can always fly out of wherever I can find the best fares. (one-way tickets to and from Colorado under $100. It's a dream come through!) In fact, if my stupid passport did not arrive late, I would have spent my birthday in Zambia.

Secondly, this city which has a population of less than 80,000, has a real activist/outdoor loving Mayor Michelle Gomez. So often outdoor activities in the parks are organized by the city.

They also have an excellent Senior's Center with lots of good recreational exercise programs.

Kudos to the manager of the center Michelle Sendik who keeps the Center clicking.

Currently, I am filling the gap left by the lack of challenging hiking/cycling activities by participating in things like Kickboxing, Zumba, Yoga, cardio fit etc. 

Coincidentally, my kickboxing tutor is someone I knew decades ago. He is Mark, the son of a former mentor of mine in Jamaica, Hector Wynter, the late editor of the Gleaner, Jamaica's foremost newspaper.  I remember hearing years ago that at about age seven, Mark had been hit off his bicycle and was in a coma. His mom took him abroad for treatment and I had heard nothing further. 

It was therefore a pleasant surprise to see that he had recovered totally, become a professional kickboxer and was now teaching us old people, the art. He is also as excellent a teacher as his late father was, so I am really enjoying kick boxing.

It's a small, small world indeed. 

Anyway, back to activities.

At the Senior Centre, I even learned to play pickleball. This I guess can be best described as senior citizen tennis, but it's fun.

I really don't enjoy playing it on indoor courts though, so now go to nearby Margate to play, when I can find a partner.

We all had a great time at the Kravitz Center

The Tamarac Senior Center also organizes cultural expeditions. Coincidentally, on my birthday last week they were transporting interested parties to the Donna Sommer musical at the Kravitz Center in Boca Raton. I joined friends and acquaintances from the center and travelled to what was a superb performance.

A chocolate cookie with ice cream for my birthday

Everything was well organized by Charlene Nevaomski from the Center, who also arranged dinner beforehand at a marvelous restaurant at True Food Kitchen in Boca.  

When Charlene told the waitress there that it was my birthday, I was presented with a delicious chocolate muffin with ice cream, compliments of the restaurant.

I look forward to many more of these outings.

Another good thing about retiring in Tamarac is that I have reconnected with dozens of friends and family from Jamaica who live all over Broward County.

Some even include high school classmates from many decades ago, with whom I had lost contact.

With  Hampton 'ole' girl Sonja

 

My alma mater is Hampton/Munro, which has an active joint, past-student's Association here.

They have regular 'fun day' activities and last week I dropped in on one at C.B Smith Park in nearby Pembroke Pines and had a wonderful time.

With Horace, President of Munro Old Boys Assn.

Another lucky break since retiring in Tamarac, was reconnecting with my long-lost cousin Barry Smith (Colin).

Barry is a musical genius who plays at least five instruments. Since migrating to Florida, he formed a band/orchestra called Tallawah Mento Band. 

Mento music is as Jamaican as you can ever get, so he is involved in organizing or playing at almost every important Jamaican/Caribbean event in South Florida.

When he heard that I had launched my autobiography "Looking Back.....the struggle to preserve our freedoms" before leaving Jamaica, he insisted that I also do a Florida launch since so many Jamaicans now live here.

Before I knew what was happening, the launch was fully arranged in conjunction with the South Regional Library in Pembroke Pines. 

It was an overwhelming success, and something I could never repay him for. 

(Joan, my views: Florida launch of "Looking back...." (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

             Members of Tallawah Mento Band/orchestra. (Leader Barry 2nd row with banjo.

Clearly therefore my decision to settle in Tamarac for my retirement, has been good for my health and social life. 

Another plus is that my one and only grandson is here with me, for he too is allergic to cold weather!

It sure was a very lucky break when the realtor got me a nice place here, considering I had never even heard of this city before arriving here!

Yes, retiring in Tamarac has really been a great move.

The only drawback? 

Those damn iguanas.

MISSING THE MOUNTAINS THOUGH!

Red Rock Park in Colorado

Another glorious mountain in Colorado

Section of the John Crow Mountains, Jamaica

The mist-covered Blue Mountains, Jamaica in the background

Corona jottings

As I sat down to express my thoughts on this mad virus that has the world in a tailspin, I decided to look up the meaning of the word 'corona' for didn't the Japanese company which manufactures Toyota, name one of their models corona some years ago?

That's what drove me to the on-line dictionary. There were several meanings listed but I assume the one the Japanese were thinking of was; "likened to a crown". In giving the origin, it says "mid 16th century (in corona 1 (sense 5)): from Latin, ‘wreath, crown’."

I wonder if anyone still has a Toyota corona and if it is today considered valuable or a piece of junk? Remind me to check this out one day.

Well so much for that civilized Corona product (in addition to the beer) for the Corona we now have is the evil one that has brought the world to a standstill! (How on earth did it earn such a lofty name?)

  

I have been enjoying my retirement and why shouldn't I, for didn't I have to work more than fifty years (many decades of which I had to finance the education of my daughter and grandson almost single-handedly, except for the regular assistance of my big brother Bernie!) to get to this stage? \

So I was determined to spend as much of the rest of my life as possible, doing the things I love most, ... travelling and writing. 

Then corona stepped in. So is it that I should  now just get accustomed to writing only?

For I was  scheduled to arrive in Nairobi, Kenya on the 1st April 2020,  after flying out from Florida on the 31st March. (Maybe I should stop making serious plans for dates that include all fool's day!😇😇😇)

Long story short, the world locked down on me for not only did I see flights being cancelled and airports locked down but then the Kenyan government, like most governments throughout the world, put out an advisory that only their citizens and residents would be let in. But that turned out to be good luck for the next thing I knew, my Canadian hosts were ordered home by their government, so if by chance I did reach Kenya, I would have been homeless.

Hopefully, I will see you later my gracious hosts, the Masai, lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes and all the other fantastic animals found in that wonderful region.

You know, I had forgotten until my brother reminded me, that this was my second attempt to try to visit the land of my dreams, which had been frustrated. For in 2019, a number of us planned to set out for that very destination, but one of the group, got ill and had to undergo an emergency operation.  Thank heavens it was successful but since then, no one else had appeared to be in the mood for the long trek so soon after.

I am positive my third attempt in late 2020 or early 2021 will be successful though. For I can't be so bad lucked can I?

  

So here I am in the USA where things have come to a full stop. 

With the community center where I  do my yoga, zumba and play pickle-ball now locked down tighter than a sardine can, I have had to find some morning activity to I remain healthy so I can take on the world when it opens up.

Well on Monday I went riding on my bicycle but the next day, I rediscovered our fully equipped recreation center for which I have been paying maintenance but not using the facilities. So  I went there to the gym, hot tub then pool. No other human being around so it was quite good.
I therefore shall return daily.

So while corona may be a temporary setback, it certainly is not going going to stop me or keep me cooped up inside. Maybe I will change my routines and travel less for a while, but that's about it.

 😊 And I shall remain fit and healthy and ready to move on when the rest of the world opens up.

(260) Talk Jamaican: di chiney virus - YouTube