Virginia Campbell asks…“What do we do with our time?”

Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had the opportunity to talk with the people preparing to retire from the University of Guelph in 2003? What do you think the answers would be if we asked each person “what are you planning to do with all of your free time?”

We all leave the University with so many skills that we have had to apply in our years of work and we should not let them sit idly by. I am sure that collectively it would be astounding if we did a survey of the many contributions we can and have made since that eventful “last day” at Guelph.

It takes some careful thought, as we all know, to choose. We are able to do all of the things we always wanted to do such as travel, have great times with the grandkids, garden, read interesting books and make gourmet meals.

The volunteer opportunities are endless and the calls asking you to sit on various boards are many. Some of the choices I have made were not always correct, but I have been extremely busy. One of the first things I was asked to do was become a member of UGRA. It was very re-warding and a real eye-opener. UGRA is the organization that looks after our well being after we retire. Give some thought to becoming a Board member. You can make a very worthwhile contribution. Help look after the welfare of us all…“the retirees”.

AND

Fred Vaughan tells about “life in retirement” in Nova Scotia. He writes…

Carol and I live in our retirement home located high on the south side of St. Margaret’s Bay, forty-five minutes from Halifax. We live in a fishing village of about forty families called Northwest Cove. We have almost ten acres right on the ocean. It is pure heaven and we still cannot believe that we actually live here and can look out at the ever-changing ocean every day. There is a wonderful assortment of people here – fishermen, artists, actors, restaurateurs, retired, semi-retired, young families – and all so friendly. Many of them are “come from away;” from Quebec, England, Scotland, Germany. Our next door neighbour is a retired history professor from Trent and his wife is a celebrated author of children’s books. There is a thriving painting community to which Carol has become deeply attached; she does watercolors and acrylics that actually sell!

I keep busy by writing books and articles. My most recent article is on a folk artist in Chester in the latest issue of Saltscapes magazine; and my latest book, “The Canadian Federalist Experiment: from Defiant Monarch to Reluctant Republic” is due out in April.

I have a twenty-two foot “Cape Islander” boat called “The Manuscript”; the kind fishermen use. On occasion, when anyone calls, Carol says: “I can’t disturb Fred because he is working on “The Manuscript”.

We are constantly asked about the winter weather. Well, it is just about the same as we experienced in Guelph, except we have a bit more rain in the winter than we did in Guelph. We don’t get those big storms the Weather Channel keeps reporting. They usually take place miles away in Cape Breton or PEI or Newfoundland. In fact, we are on the same summer zone as London, Ontario.

As you can imagine, life is grand in retirement! We do miss many of our old Guelph friends and haunts. We loved our years in Guelph, but we wouldn’t trade places for all the tea in China.

Best wishes to everyone. Come on down, ya hear?