About me, Wendy...

This is a short introduction...

Hello! I'm Wendy and I am busy writing this website and hoping to encourage you to contribute too!

For the past few years (2005-2009), I have struggled with my own retirement -- and I'm not yet retired. Just can't seem to walk away, yet!

I hope that I can work though "all things retirement" on this website, for myself, and for others who face anxiety at retirement... just like me.

As background, I've been employed with one employer for thirty five years, and I'm almost "there" - at retirement's door. I am a Retirement Manager, at work, and have been in this position since 1985. At first, it was just another job, another promotion -- and although I was happy to get it, I knew little about this lifestyle called "retirement" (other than you stop working.. grin!)

After a few years in this position, I realized how daunting the concept of retirement is for most folks. I also realized I love everything about retirement -- the more I learned, the more I needed to know on the retirement topic, so I could help retirees.

For the past 20+ years, I've also worked with lots of retirees. I've listened to their hopes and dreams, and also their fears, going into retirement. Later, they have revealed their happiness, enthusiasm, and disappointments in retirement. I hope I can use my experiences to help you, in some small way, to navigate the retirement issues that face you.

To me, there are two concepts in retirement to consider:

We LOVE the concept of "no work" and doing what we want to do with our own time... BUT the thought of living off savings, pensions, and Social Security is downright scary.

Retirees, financially, are amazingly diverse... some have and some do not, and lots of degrees in between. This website is really not about the financial aspects of retirement (though I have lots of information on all different issues -- Social Security, disability retirement).

As humans, working, disabled, or retired, I think we have continuing needs, desires, and goals to be productive in some manner. In fact, I KNOW we do!

Some retirees will be happy simply living near grandchildren to help them daily, others need meaningful relationships, sharing life with others, and "work" to do to make them feel "whole". That's where I hope this website will go.

Bottom Line: I want to share the retirement experience with you - in the hopes that you gain something to help you through your own retirement.. and to get me through this transition too!

Despite processing paperwork and walking thousands of new retirees through the retirement process, it's easy when it's "your" retirement, not so easy when suddenly it's "mine". How did I get here, at retirements doorstep? Am I really that old? grin! This is a huge transition in life!