Now, as I go to class every day I look forward to sharing, rather than declaiming. I have reached a place that has given me far greater rewards than I could ever have imagined….and that is a good thing because, quite frankly the pay stinks!
Mentoring, teaching, any of these so called post-retirement positions, are great ways to continue to grow and to give back. In my case it has been more than a 50/50 sharing — I am getting far more from my students that I could ever have imagined, and I am giving my knowledge, my years in the business world, and my grey-haired expertise to a group of young people who genuinely respect the situation and are thriving in ways I doubt they could have imagined before the semester began.
I can not recommend this avenue strongly enough. If you have some time and a desire to keep your hat in the ring, mentoring and teaching is a wonderful way to go.
As a great way to begin, go to the local community college and see what they have available. In many instances you may not even need a college degree to teach, just a heck of a lot of experience, which is something we all have. It is a way to keep learning and growing.
You may not be a computer whiz, and doing the paper work will get you to stand up and curse out the bureaucracy, but in the end what you will be doing can not be done by anyone else. We have the experience and the know how, and we each bring a unique style to our work. Most of these young people have never been around smart, creative, industrious ‘old folks’; they totally enjoy hearing our stories and our humor…and they accept the information gladly.
And it’s a great way for you to help in your community…and if all you need is gas money it pays pretty well!
Try it…you’ll make someone’s day.
