..The Villages Style.  I’ve written about retirement several times and the longer I have been retired my opinions and  observations have either changed or been nullified.  I love being retired but when I retired from my 26 year career, which by the way was very stressful, when people would see me and ask how I was doing I would answer with having no stress is stressful, and I meant it.  I likened it to the feeling you get when you get off the tilt-a-wheel at a carnival.  You stand still getting your balance, before you proceed forward. If I were to draw a picture of retiring, it would be of a furry yellow chick, just breaking out of his shell with the caption..Now what do I do?  I never gave retirement a thought, other than my last day of work would be July 3rd, 2003, and I would spend a great summer at the lake with my grandchildren.  That was nice until they went back to school and my vacation from work wore off.  When finding myself totally unprepared for this new old age I resorted to the library.  Dr. Spock got me through the naivity and shock of being a parent, there must be books on retirement. And books there were: Blissful Living, Healthy Retirement, Fulfilling Retirement, Living Richly In Retirement, Retirement:only the beginning, Unique Retirement Lifestyle:only the beginning.  Only the beginning seemed to be coming up in a lot of the books, and I soon found out that it is only the beginning of a lot of great things to come. It was the same year we first came to The Villages for two months, to get out of the cold.  We were here a short time when we realized we wanted to spend more time here the following winter, so we purchased our first home.  I had gone back to work as a Consultant, which I did when we would return North for the spring, summer and fall months.  I really was an on-again, off-again retiree and that worked great.  When we moved permanently to The Villages I did go back to work full-time for several years and loved it, however those  grandchildren just kept growing up and growing up and I felt I was missing too many of their milestones.  After I retired again I discovered the secret of a happy retirement…my days are filled with pursuing new and exciting interests.   In other words staying involved and active doing things you enjoy doing.  I had never really said to myself…what do YOU want to do…like the chick it was more,  what do I do now?  So ask yourself, what have I always wanted to do?  Retirees have many good years left to pursue new and exciting interests, and that is why The Villages is so attractive, there is something here for everyone.  Staying engaged has given me a more exciting and fulfilling second act.   Awhile back I had read that you should surround yourself with people smarter than yourself, as it is very stimulating.  I decided to take some classes at The Lifelong Learning College, which were over my head, and as I approached my first class I thought stimulating?, it felt more like intimidating!  However, I walked out thoroughly impressed with the knowledge other classmates had and were willing to share, and it was more than stimulating, I loved it.  So my personal advice to retirees and soon to be retirees…think of what you have always wanted to do…and just do it. Perhaps you could be the clownthat you always wanted to be, or the archer, or sailor , or perhaps a dragon boater.  My retirement advice is come visit The Villages and find your passion. There is something here for everyone.