Zen And The Art Of Dog Walking

Retirement may be a dream for most people, but the reality of having an unscheduled life may sound exciting for some people. In fact, I had all these plans to do things --like write a book, go on a singing tour, and do more travel. But somehow, all my goals and desires just seemed to have drained away after I retired on that fateful afternoon in September this year.

I had all the time in the world, yet, I felt reluctant to pick up my favorite ukelele and strum about life and love. The prospect of reading a book also didn't interest me. Boredom had cast a shadow of depression over me, and I didn't know what to do or where to turn.

One day, I clicked on a site that offered dog walking in my local area. I partly filled out the application and after a few weeks, I completed the rest. I soon got assigned a dog, who turned out to be gentle and a bit meek. She was perfect for me. As I walked "Dolly" and picked up her poo, I also got a chance to breath in the fresh air and exercise. After 15 minutes, we were done and I sadly brought the dog back to the owner.

Yes, perhaps, that is all I needed was a breath of fresh air and I chance to take a moment to reevaluate my life.

After 15 years of working at my company and many other years in customer service, I had had enough. The years of taking calls, and troubleshooting had taken its toll. I needed something different but I felt all burnt out. Yet, inevitably, everyone will retire one day and many may also experience a feeling of emptiness.

I read somewhere that some retirees also experience a phase of being disenchanted and disengaged. I felt this as well as experienced feelings of uselessness. To avoid this, some experts feel that it is best to have a plan. I did plan on taking a program in writing but some how that plan came undone when I wasn't selected to be in the program.

For now, I do paid dog walking several times a week, while I try to navigate what I want to do during the next phase in my life.

Dog walking allows me to breath in the air and slowly mediate on the joys of living and breathing. Yes, it is a gift to be outside in the fresh air now because there were many days when I was working when I felt stuck indoors.

Dog walking is a good job and many of my former coworkers also expressed interest in walking dogs part time, once retired.

Still, it can be an unpleasant business. One needs to deal with traffic and work in all kinds of conditions, rain or shine. There is also a lot of competition being a dog walker. I got bumped by another dog walker who took a few of my shifts.

Still, I feel lucky that at least I am being selected to being an occasional dog walker. It doesn't pay much but I have the opportunity to spend time outdoors and communicating with a dog that is nonjudgemental and happy is very infectious. For a time, I am also happy and feeling a bit more useful.

At this time, I am at the stage where I need to evaluate who I am and what I wish to do for the next part of my life. This is the most difficult stage and it has lead to periods of depression and inactivity.

Some experts believe that this stage of reorientation does not last forever and many retirees will eventually find their purpose.

For me, with just one month of retirement under my belt, I am feeling a little hopeful that I will come to a new sense of rediscovery and discover my purpose. Thanks to dog walking, I am able to find that that there is a different world out there -- one that doesn't involve taking calls all day.