Retirement vs aging

These are the two most ugliest words in my vocabulary. Just met some
people in our age-bracket. both are now retired, overweight & do
nothing! I just can’t imagine how anyone can sit at home &
contemplate their existence by going to the local shopping mall &
grabbing a coffee. yuk! I’m now waiting for 3 styles of silver rings
to get to my busy home/office & to make ‘more informative videos’…!
Even in my still ‘youthful’ years, I’m still helping others anyway I
can…:>) Once this period of ‘post-op’ recovery is over, I have 5
more clients to teach, including a return to an ‘out-of-town’ trade
school. aging?.:>) Gerry Lewy

I have pondered that all my life. Why get up and go to a job you
hate. Come home exhausted. watch tv, go to bed. Rinse and repeat. I
think you have hit on the difference between existing and going
through the motions and living. I chose to live. I chose to learn
something new on the last day of my life whenever it may be. :slight_smile:

Teri

Aging… no way! I’m with you Gerry. And thank you for your generous
teaching videos. Been practicing with a graver all week.

Kindest regards,
Lois

Retirement. No. Heck no!!! I am 78 and hurt all the time. My
great dealer friend who is sell all my work to has asked me to make
2 gold rings, a large piece of pottery, several smaller pieces of
pottery and any jewelry I have aims to make.

I will be casting a large amount of stuff in the next couple of days
then it’s on to finishing it all.

I sing and play my guitar at three open mics a week.

I love every minute of life I a given.

Lee Epperson

1 Like

This retirement stuff is a scam. I am as busy as ever cutting stones
and making jewelry and I had my 94th birthday 4 months ago. Keep
going as long as you can. It’s worth it.

Irv Baker

2 Likes

Include me in the group of those who don’t know the meaning of
"ageing and retiring." Too busy making jewelry, leaning new
technics, participating in shows, giving workshops, gardening, and
playing the piano. Alma

Retirement. No. Heck no!!!!!!! I am 78 and hurt all the time.
[snip] I sing and play my guitar at three open mics a week. 

Rock on, Lee. Love the open mike stuff.

Judy in KS

I teach at a metalworking guild which I’m not a member, just the
teacher, and many of my students are in their 70’s to 92. I hope I’m
still functional at 80! I mean, my 90 year old students are still
driving, still crack a great joke and work. Jewelry is their passion
and they are serious hobbists.

Joy

I am 65 and have chronic pain. I just crawl out of bed and take my
meds and hook up my drool cup and go to work in the studio. It not
over till it is over.

Chris

Hi Fran

thanx so much for that post, I am nearly 60 and you make me feel
young again.

I am going to change my will. If I don’t get cremated with my bench
(not the tools of course they will go to a good home) then I will
spend it all on a wake.

All the best
Richard

I’m older, (60’s) yet just started a website with my new designs,
Gemflowers. I fully expect to be selling them forever. Thanks to the
Internet, there’s not going to be an old lady here eating cat food
towards the end.

M J St Amand

Is this ever an impetus to respond to as well.

Gerry, Lee, Judy, via Orchid, I have had the pleasure of knowing all
of you personally, many thanks to Hanuman and Ton. I had a very
nasty event in March 2011 which separated me from my love and
fabrication of Jewelry, which caused lots of anger. In September of
2011 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, second severe shock of the
year. Thankfully I became involved with San Diego Cancer Research
Institute and began to take classes in Expressive Arts. This
reengaged me with life. It also included some simple jewelry and I
made many Mala Bracelets donating them back to SDCRI, there is a
Gallery selling them and donating money back to SDCRI. I have tons
of designs swirling through my head and may indeed get back to Torch
and Fabricating.

I began advocating for Dense Breast Tissue Notification actively to
become Law in California. Took two tries, but we made it, and now
this vital may help in identifying cancers early enough
for successful treatment. Next I was asked to participate in Art For
Barks. This is a Charity offering a wonderful Free Registry for
anyone with a Pet family member. To all reading this visit register
your Pet and Vet. This allows any EMT treating you away from home to
be aware there are pets at home that may need care. We are planning
country wide registry. I manage the FaceBook Page Art For Barks, do
take a look there as well.

I was invited to join PFCC UCSD, this is Patient and Family Centered
Care. The goal is to change the focus of medicine to the patient and
family. Changes so far is 24/7 visiting patients, no restrictions.
Listening rather than telling is a current in progress procedure as
well

Activity, I joined a wonderful Social Meet Up Group and am out to
Concerts, Play Readings, Comedy Hours and Happy Hours. Began playing
Live Prize Trivia about a year and a half ago and that is an every
Sunday evening brain stretch. Got back to play a bit of Golf, and
took up Bowling after probably a 50 plus year layoff. Joined a
League, bowl weekly with them and practice two more days, so bowl
three times a week.

This is what the 80’s look like to me. I am far more active, happy,
and have lots of good new friends. Aches and pains, “I’ve had a few
and then again too few to mention.” Let me share this with those
that have mentioned pain and pills in your comments. Especially
those within States that have recently changed their laws. I attend
a cancer support group and within that group I have made an 180
degree change in my own attitude about Marijuana. From viscerally
hating the stuff for all, I am now advising people living with pain
to think about using Medical Marijuana in one of its available
forms. The majority of those in the support group are finding great
relief of side effects of cancer care. Chemically the High producing
THC is removed and the CBD (cannibinoid) level is increased. There
are minimal side effects in contrast to the majority of pain pills
chemically made. Morphine can depress breathing and narcotic based
pain controls impact kidney and liver. Our MD Ph. D group leader has
said he would rather someone take a puff than a pill. Cannabis Oil
is also impacting some tumors based on recently released research. I
am not currently doing this for myself, but the next time an MD
tries to stick a needle full of steroid into me, I may choose Pot
instead. Google this for more Medical Marijuana was in
use until a Senator got it outlawed. Maybe we will once again be
able to use Hemp Fibers and Ropes. Who knows.

Approaching my 83rd birthday my greatest problem is financial.
Cancer took every cent I had saved for the Rainy Day, but left none
for the days following. I will be with Hanuman’s permission of
course, selling off much of what I have treasured, Books, Tools,
Stones both faceted and cabbed. Inherited Breakfront Crystal and
Silver pieces. etc.

I refuse to use age as an excuse for anything. That is my Mantra.

Hugs,
Terrie
Teresa Masters

Hello Terrie,

I’m so sorry to learn of your battle with cancer and glad to hear
you have bounced back to a joyful life. I am also amazed that you
will be 83!!! No way! Good on you for the positive attitude and
intent to not be brow-beaten by a disease.

Hugs back to you,
Judy in KS

Yes! Well, I am both retired and aging. My 89th birthday occured in
March while I was in Hawaii at a Tai Chi Retreat and on that day the
symbol for longevity, aka Sea Turtle, came out of the sea and
lingered on the beach for me to contremnplate. Home again with my
silversmithing tools and several Hawaii-inspired ideas. and with my
sewing machine and quilting projects and I really need to get out
there with my string trimmer and cut grass. But first, an hour of tai
chi and pakua practice. Not enough hours in my day!

Mariana

Teresa

My best wishes go out to you.

Wherever we go, we take ourselves.

Learning to live in the moment and be greatful for what we do have
makes a difference.

The decision to be happy is ours and is internal.

Life can hand us what it may, we can decide how to receive it and
deal with it.

Much love to you.

Charles Friedman DDS
Ventura California

As we say in Italian–"Buon Compleanno a ti !!! "

Thank you too, for reminding us that age is truly a state of mind.
My mentor, merry renk, first showed that to us-as well as family
members here & Italy. Keep on trucking, as they say.

Ciao, J&J Donivan

Hi Chris, I have a couple of years on you at 67, but I know the
routine. I have to say, without my family and friends as a support
group, I would not be able to keep my head above water! I even have
customers that wait patiently for me to get over whatever my current
crisis is for their pieces, and suppliers that will still send me a
memo when I want to look at some stones that I can’t cut myself. They
all know my situation, and still they are there for me. What a lucky
old fart am I! Thomas III

Neither one is an option for me, but then I’ve never had much
respect for, or close association with reality.

Ar ar ar. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep sawing dies,
but I intend to do so for as long as I can. It’s a good excuse to hit
the (light-to medium) weights, the need to stay strong and
semi-flexible. There are days I wonder why TF I’m doing this, but
it’s easy to get grateful about it and keep plugging away, given
many of the alternatives. One of the hardest things is relaxing
mentally enough to allow myself the time it takes to exercise,
massage, stretch, and recover.

When I do all those things I feel pretty good most of the time, but
It’s a balancing act, working and working out, building up stress in
muscles and forcing it out with Mr. Shiatsu Machine. I swear, it
feels like a whole day of deep massage wouldn’t be enough, but that
would leave me incapacitated for days !

It’s a great thing to find something you don’t mind doing all the
time, are good at, and is a good service to a lot of people.

I don’t know that I’m deeply passionate about any activity to the
point where it wouldn’t seem like work, or bore me, if I were to do
only that one thing, so making tools is fine, as it does involve
working at a lot of different things, and I get some reasonably
interesting designs and press projects from time to time. So
overall, I’d be an ungrateful stink if I didn’t appreciate the path
I’m on. Being creative in nature, I do have other outlets, and not
having as much time for them does enhance their appeal.

That’s about it for now; if I keep grinding this massager into my
back much longer, I’ll be sore tomorrrow !

DS

Dear friends,

Their have been some changes and it is time to bring you all up to
date.

As many of know Reactive Metals Studio has changed hands. And NO it
does not belong to Rio Grande! It is the resolution of a long time
plan for Deborah Allen Adair and Michele Watters to take over the
business. They have indeed been running it for many years and have
decades of experience. As it turned out the plan worked, we reached
a designated threshold, agreed on an ownership relationship and
changed the guard. That much of the RMS product line is now in the
Rio Grande catalog is just icing on the cake.

I have been musing the future for a few months and have decided to
continue in the direction of retirement. In pursuit of this I am
looking at 2015 as the last year I will teach. I have only one
workshop this year (Peters Valley Aug 22-26) and none currently
planned beyond on that. I feel the more I am away from it, the less
I teach, the more ineffectual I am at it and the more work it is to
prepare.

The good part of all this is my goals have been reached. The
reactive metals are now, and for the foreseeable future will be,
part of every metal artist’s palette. The materials and process are
in most modern text (Even a high school chemistry book!) and many
schools teach it as a matter of course. The work I have seen
produced has been phenomenal and is reward enough.

To make sure that metal students in the future continue to expand
that palette and their own visions, I have endowed a fund for the
Jewelry Department at the University of Kansas. This is an open fund
and may be gifted to by individuals and corporations. The endowment
will accept money, equipment (new/used), materials and property. All
investments in our future artists are, of course, tax deductible.
The fund can be accessed directly at:

http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep81et

Checks and other gifts can be sent to:
Gift Processing Department
KU Endowment
PO Box 928
Lawrence, KS 66044-0928
Or, call 888-653-6111

Reference "Reactive Metals Fund for the Advancement of Metal
Art"or"Seeley Reactive Metals Fund #90616.

With that, a deep breath, a joyous thank you, it has been a helluva
ride. I am off to see what’s next!

Love you all,
Bill Seeley
Founder Reactive Metals Studio, Inc.

PS Equipment donations will need approval by the jewelry program director
Jon Havener jhavener@ku.edu or 785-864-3074

Hugs right back Terrie! Life is about change, loving and living, and
learning new things. Sounds like you are doing exactly that. Thomas
III