As we wrap up the year, a lot of people have asked, “How’s retirement?” My standard response is, “Well, I was really good at work, but I’m really bad at retirement.”
I’m mostly joking, but there is an element of truth to it.
The fact is, I’ve been really busy since I stepped away from my full-time responsibilities with MetroNews and WVRC Media last January. Some days, I’m busier than I had planned, but for me that’s better than having too much free time on my hands.
I’m still writing commentaries for MetroNews, although one a week instead of one every day, and making weekly appearances on Talkline and occasionally on MetroNews Midday. I join Tony Caridi and Brad Howe twice a week on the 3 Guys podcast, but that’s more like fun than work.
My on-air work has also included hosting halftime segments of 20 Bowl Season Radio broadcasts during the holiday season.
I do some media-related work for WVU Medicine, as well. I enjoy that immensely because I get to meet and interview impressive medical professionals who are committed to making a difference in the health of West Virginians. Watching these accomplished doctors work to improve life in our state is inspiring.
I’m serving on the board of the Stubblefield Institute at Shepherd University, whose mission is to foster more civil and respectful debate, especially in politics. That is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.
So, I tell people I’m semi-retired, and I think that’s accurate.
And it’s all good. I am involved in things that interest me and make me feel as though I am keeping my skills sharp as I approach my 71st birthday.
The last year has gone quickly. I did not get time to do some of the things I thought I would, like clean out the garage, try to learn a musical instrument, read more books, exercise more regularly, and return to my hobby of making Adirondack chairs.
I have some regrets about that, but it also makes me think about what my longtime mentor, Dale Miller, often said about his work in radio: “My vocation is also my avocation.” That’s a healthy way for me to approach retirement since I can remain involved in media without the constant pressure of daily, sometimes hourly, deadlines.
Then the question is whether I am happier now than when I was working full-time. I answer that this way: The removal of those deadline pressures and the obligation to produce a daily two-hour show and a daily commentary have sanded off an ever-present stressful edge. The freedom is gradually allowing me to become, or return to, what I believe is my true self, which is a more laid-back individual.
Rather than being preoccupied with what has to be done in the next minute or the next hour, I have more time to allow the feelings of gratitude and empathy to surface. There are more opportunities to nurture my marriage and friendships.
I confess that the additional time has me thinking more about death. I suppose it’s natural that, at a certain age, you focus more on the question, “How many years do I have left?” Or more accurately, “How many good years do I have left?” I’ve been lucky with my health so far.
So, here I go into year two of semi-retirement with no regrets about my decision to slow down a little, take a breath, look around, and see what comes my way. Someone said, “Retirement is not the end of the road. It’s the beginning of the open highway.”
I’ll see you down that highway in 2026.