When Charles Aznavour wrote “Yesterday When I Was Young,” he touched on a theme that resonates with so many of us. I retired early last spring after a 40-plus year career on Wall Street, preceded by careers in television news and local NYC government, working for Mayor John Lindsay.
I soon learned that my newfound challenges, frustrations, disappointments and fears are not unique to me, but are happening to so many of us, as our lives suddenly take a 180-degree turn. It is not simply about age, tho I’ll address that in a later column, but a realization that suddenly nothing seems familiar (although it is really a gradual process). We start to eat differently; we deal with a whole new set of doctors and medications; our exercise regime shifts; shopping is different; our travel habits change; our relationships with friends and family evolve; and nothing seems the way it was throughout our working lives.
I have always worked. I grew up in Westchester County in a lower middle class family. My father died when I was only 12, and my mother worked full-time to support me and my younger sister.
As soon as I turned 16 and got my “working papers,” I took two buses summer days to work at Korvette’s department store, and when I was older I worked as a counselor at summer camps to help pay for college. I then worked my way through college in the cafeteria and library (in combination with loans and scholarships), and knew I’d have to have a job lined up the moment I graduated.
It was startling to learn that this new retirement gig is nothing like my prior life — the high heels replaced with sneakers; the suits and dresses with yoga pants and T-shirts; the corporate gym with walking on my road trying to avoid the local pit bull and the poison ivy; restaurant dining with takeout pizza; and subways, buses and taxis with my own Subaru (my very first car).
Accustomed to an intense working day, I initially busied myself going through closets and cleaning the basement, meeting friends for lunch (I’d not taken a real lunch break in over 40 years), sleeping late ( I’d spent decades setting my alarm for 5:30 a.m. to go to the gym before work); and getting my first dog and suddenly becoming a “ dog person” (growing up in apartment houses, my pets were turtles and parakeets and goldfish, and then cats once I lived in NYC). Somehow I managed to fill my day, and then late last spring I left NYC for good, and that just drove home how much my life was changing .
So here I am trying to figure out what next, and I struggle. I love sleeping in, but feel guilty. I enjoy having friends for brunch and dinner, but miss dining out. It’s so much more efficient doing my own nails — now quite short — but I miss treating myself to manicures. I love the quiet on my road, but I miss the energy of the City. Then there are all the new things I worry about, like black ice on the road or running out of gas, CVS not having one of my many new medications, or running out of Oatmilk, the house being a mess when someone drops in unexpectedly, new aches and pains I can’t figure out, slipping on the ice, the deer eating my flowers, the dog eating the meat we took out for dinner, and so much more. These may sound like silly problems, and I am keenly aware that we live in a world and at a time when so many are suffering with very serious challenges, but for the purposes of this column, I hope to address the many issues that confront so many of us who, in one way or another, are just trying to acclimate to this new chapter in our life. I have actually compiled a list of 50 possible topics, but I expect many more will come to mind as I start to write.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts or questions at Gweng@millertonnews.com
Gwen Greene is retired and lives in Pine Plains with her partner Dennis, her puppy Charlie, and 2 Angus cows, also retired.
"They had this in mind from last year," girls varsity head coach Les Funk of Pine Plains said. Funk said the young team wanted the sectional title and "never gave up," until they won it Wednesday, March 5, at Mount Saint Mary College.Photo by Nathan Miller
Naveah Rennie, no 34 of Pine Plains, was the Bombers' dominant scorer, racking up 20 points by the end of the matchup against S.S. Seward Institute during the Section IX Class C finals at Mount Saint Mary College on Wednesday, March 5.Photo by Nathan Miller
Lent: Time to consider social gospel movement
We are entering the annual Christian season of Lent this week.With its 40 days of contemplation and “little Easter” Sundays, it is a time to remember the healing ministry and the sacrifice of Jesus.During this season, we are invited to think deeply about our role as agents of grace and love in our hurting world.
There is a long history of making sacrifices and commitments for Lent, modeling our discipleship and hopes for a more heavenly world. It is through this lens that I invite you to join us in considering what gifts and services the community needs that we can commit to bringing forth in the weeks leading up to Easter.While many lean into solitary introspection during Lent, it may be particularly advantageous to use our meditations and sacrifices for the greater good this year.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, advised his followers centuries ago that “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and depth and breadth and height of Christian perfection.”These words are connected to the firm belief of Wesley that a Methodist was fundamentally one who loved God with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul, along with loving one’s neighbor as oneself.He believed that being in love with God naturally also required loving other people, as every person was a beloved soul coming from the same source of life that we are.
Consequently, Wesley stood against slavery long before it was a popular view, prioritized caring for those who were poor and imprisoned, and made a point to do good to as many as he could for as long as he was physically able.
Indeed, the Methodists are not the only Christians who believe such things.These thoughts are primary messages of the Christian faith.In more recent history, we can note that during the time of the Golden Age, at the end of the late 19th century, the Christians mobilized to counteract the abject poverty, child labor, dangerous working conditions, and lack of education of the time.Famous theologians such as Washington Gladden, Walter Rauschenbusch, and W.E.B. DuBois began the Social Gospel movement, enacting with new verve the passion of Christ that empowers the community toward building the Kingdom of God.As Christians, they believed in uplifting the downtrodden and creating a community where all had a chance to thrive.Child labor laws were enacted, better working conditions were secured, Sunday School helped provide education, settlement houses were created, and the Salvation Army was born.
The social gospel movement continued in another wave of reforms and empowerment through the Civil Rights era.Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his intellect, energy, and life to help secure the reforms that enabled persons of color to vote, go to non-segregated schools, and have the right to share public spaces without discrimination.Like Christ, he paid the ultimate price for his prophetic vision.However, his impact on our society was formidable, lasting far beyond his short lifetime.
As Christians, it is very clear what to do in times of hardship, crisis, or challenge.Throughout the centuries, our call has been to help heal the world, doing whatever we can to uplift and transform loneliness into community, reminding each one how precious they are and how important it is to unite for the sake of the whole.Individually, the challenges can be overwhelming, even too much to bear.Collectively, we can do all things through the One who strengthens us.As they say, “We have the receipts!” We can do it again.
This Lent, let us give up our pessimism and fear, replacing it with a commitment to community and hope.Yes, things can seem dreadful, but our souls are not served by allowing ourselves to descend into the dark.We are keepers of the light.Let us do all within our power to create brightness so that its warmth may strengthen all as we live into the Social Gospel movement for our time.Chin up, friends, we can do this.We simply must be willing to get serious about doing it together.
Rev. Dr. Anna Crews Camphouse is pastor of Canaan, Lakeville, Millerton, and Sharon United Methodist Churches
Lead Pastor of the Northwestern Hills Cooperative
Parish UMC