{"id":653229,"date":"2026-01-01T00:51:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T05:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/?p=653229"},"modified":"2025-12-31T18:04:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T23:04:37","slug":"653229","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/01\/01\/653229\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on year one of (semi) retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"
As we wrap up the year, a lot of people have asked, \u201cHow\u2019s retirement?\u201d My standard response is, \u201cWell, I was really good at work, but I’m really bad at retirement.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I\u2019m mostly joking, but there is an element of truth to it.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The fact is, I\u2019ve been really busy since I stepped away from my full-time responsibilities with MetroNews and WVRC Media last January.\u00a0 Some days, I\u2019m busier than I had planned, but for me that\u2019s better than having too much free time on my hands.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I\u2019m 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\u2019s more like fun than work.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
My on-air work has also included hosting halftime segments of 20 Bowl Season Radio broadcasts during the holiday season.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I do some media-related work for WVU Medicine, as well.\u00a0\u00a0I 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.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I\u2019m 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.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So, I tell people I\u2019m semi-retired, and I think that\u2019s accurate.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
And it\u2019s all good.\u00a0\u00a0I 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.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The last year has gone quickly.\u00a0\u00a0I 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.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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: \u201cMy vocation is also my avocation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s a healthy way for me to approach retirement since I can remain involved in media without the constant pressure of daily, sometimes hourly, deadlines.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Then the question is whether I am happier now than when I was working full-time.\u00a0 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.\u00a0\u00a0The freedom is gradually allowing me to become, or return to, what I believe is my true self, which is a more laid-back individual.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I confess that the additional time has me thinking more about death.\u00a0\u00a0I suppose it\u2019s natural that, at a certain age, you focus more on the question, \u201cHow many years do I have left?\u201d Or more accurately, \u201cHow many good years <\/i>do I have left?\u201d I\u2019ve been lucky with my health so far.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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.\u00a0 Someone said, \u201cRetirement is not the end of the road. It\u2019s the beginning of the open highway.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I\u2019ll see you down that highway in 2026.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we wrap up the year, a lot of people have asked, \u201cHow\u2019s retirement?\u201d My standard response is, \u201cWell, I was really good at work, but I’m really bad at retirement.\u201d I\u2019m mostly joking, but there is an element of truth to it. The fact is, I\u2019ve been really busy since I stepped away from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-653229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary","category-hoppys-commentary"],"yoast_head":"\nReflections on year one of (semi) retirement - WV MetroNews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wvmetronews.com\/2026\/01\/01\/653229\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reflections on year one of (semi) retirement - WV MetroNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As we wrap up the year, a lot of people have asked, \u201cHow\u2019s retirement?\u201d My standard response is, \u201cWell, I was really good at work, but I’m really bad at retirement.\u201d I\u2019m mostly joking, but there is an element of truth to it. 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