'Creative Retirement?' she laughed, by Ron Manheimer

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by North Carolina Center For Creative Retirement
on Monday, May 18, 2009

When I tell people I'm the director of the NC Center for Creative Retirement they look suspicious. "Creative, huh?" their squinty eyes say. And sometimes, openly, they will blurt out, "How can retirement be creative?"

"Aha," I answer, "that's what's so cool about the way that retirement is being redefined."

Now they look even more perplexed. And well they should.

Few people know that midlife and retirement-aged adults are going back to school in completely new types of learning organizations across the world. China has 20,000 Universities for Older People, Europe and the UK have over 1,000 Universities of the Third Age (U3As), and hundreds of other self-organized groups are cropping up each year. In the US and Canada, we have over 350 Lifelong Learning Institutes (LLIs) on college and university campuses. In most cases, the "students" help to run the programs.

Behold a learning revolution led by the silver warriors of worldly wisdom. And in what does their wisdom consist? "That by continuing to learn, to share your knowledge, and to play a part in shaping a learning community of your own making, you continue to grow and thrive," says a chorus of member who frequent the Reuter Center of facility of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR) on the UNCA campus.

The word "Creative" in the center's name refers to the action of gathering up a lifetime of struggles, successes, and hard won lessons from the arenas of work, family, and community. These experiences are then refashioned to reveal the possibility of new applications. The trick in life is to make things new and fresh without letting go of the past. You could call it mindful recycling or personal renewal or self-transformation.

Do you have to be retired to join these programs? No, because retirement today is not an age-linked event - the golden handshake, it's a process and ever expanding period of life that may include continued employment, second and third careers, time for travel, outdoor recreation, family celebration, renewed and expanded friendships, giving back to your community and, of course, education. Some people stop working for pay at 45 and others work well into their 70s and 80s. Almost one-quarter of the NCCCR's 1800 members are age 59 and under.

What does the center have to offer? Hundreds of classes ranging from the Architectural History of Asheville to The Mystical Experience, studio arts programs, an environmental education program, classes on changing careers or building your own website. Most of these opportunities are available to local residents year round.

So if you're not already involved, come join the revolution. Check out our website at www.unca.edu/ncccr/

Comments

Debi Drecksler - Monday, May 18, 2009 @ 2:45:28 pm

Great Article...Glad you told folks they did not have to be retired to participate. Hubby and I will be working until we're 100 so it's good to know we're accepted with open arms!

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About the Author - North Carolina Center For Creative Retirement

Contact North Carolina Center For Creative Retirement:
www.unca.edu/ncccr/

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