I retired from a job in public service four years ago as the Planning Director for the small City of Hood River, Oregon, located in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. I had spent most of my career here, twenty-eight years with the City and another three years with the county.
I was excited, nervous, and scared about this major life change, but most importantly, hidden below the surface was the thought, "would I be lonely?" I decided to travel for my first year in retirement. I toured throughout the United States, including Chicago, New York, Florida, Arizona, Minneapolis, and Northern Michigan. I even made a trip to Mexico. I created so many beautiful and lasting memories. I visited friends and family and saw Broadway Shows and magnificent art galleries. I basked in the Mexican sun, walked the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, and attended many music concerts, a particular passion of mine. The sounds of Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, Earth Wind and Fire, Chicago, Beach Boys, James Taylor, and others still play in my mind from time to time. I was enjoying a perfect time. Someone who had retired a few years before I advised, "don't wait to do everything you have ever wanted to do, because there is only so much time left."
That first year in retirement was a beautiful escape from reality. But when I got home, there I was. The thought that I did not have much time left depressed me. What would I do, especially if time was of the essence? I did some soul-searching and started on a different trajectory in retirement, one that has been personally and spiritually fulfilling. I am happy and optimistic and look forward to what a new day brings, something I could not always say when working a full-time job.
I asked myself what kind of person I had been and how I could be a better version of myself. That required an inventory, and that was quite enlightening. I discovered I could learn more about the qualities I yearned for by looking at people I truly admired. The attributes that I admire most in people are honesty, humility, selflessness, and contentment. I had these in my life, but I understood that I could manifest them to a greater degree and become a better version of who I aspired to be. Whatever my journey in retirement might be, I wanted it filled with activities that manifest greater honesty, humility, selflessness, and contentment.
Now, where did I want to make this vision a reality? I love where I live. It is a small town, a historical community with wonderful people. I have a cozy home I created and am part of a warm and friendly social network here in Hood River. Hood River is in the Columbia River Gorge, a stunningly beautiful natural and scenic area about an hour's drive east of Portland, Oregon.
So, I had two pieces of the retirement puzzle, who I aspired to be and where I wanted to realize that future. That is all good, but what will I do to make this a reality? I could see possibilities when I got quiet (I do it through meditation and a spiritual connection to a Power greater than myself). It was not long before opportunities presented themselves.
For much of its existence, Hood River was not well known. It was a quiet town on the Columbia River, an agricultural service and lumber town on a railroad line that provided one of the few level crossings through the Cascade Mountain range. An eclectic group of ex-hippies began to discover its recreation potential. They imparted a distinct and colorful character to the town. Its location on the river can be pretty windy, but those are ideal sailboarding conditions (such as windsurfing and kiteboarding). In the years that followed, more people began to flood into the Columbia River Gorge, and Hood River is at the center of it all. They were seeking adrenaline rushes with almost every type of recreation imaginable in this four-season scenic splendor. Sailboarding, skiing, hang gliding, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking enthusiasts, to name a few, came to the Gorge, and the recreation industry boomed.
The recreation industry was part of a larger tourism-oriented economy that grew up here. The fertile growing conditions for the county's large fruit orchards led to wineries and micro-distilleries. The historic town center of Hood River and other towns and the rich heritage of several nearby Native American Tribal Nations brought in people looking for a cultural experience. And, of course, the many beautiful and scenic waterfalls in the Gorge attracted people far and wide.
Soon a noticeable schism developed between the people who called this place home and those that came to visit. An influx of wealthy people looking for a second home outbid locals for housing. The average house price is too expensive for many local people to afford. The term 'dark streets' came to signify the large number of second homes that were unoccupied most of the year and were dark at night. Some could afford to live here, and they pushed out those who could not.
Both agriculture and tourism require farm and service workers. Latinos represented over 32% of the population and were some of the most affected. Most of them rented their homes and could be pushed out readily from their homes to more affluent people wanting their homes or property. Another affected group was younger adults who were born and raised here. They, too, were struck especially by skyrocketing housing costs and wages that did not even allow for the rental of an apartment. My hometown, since 1986, has become a place of the haves and the have-nots.
I knew I wanted to help those left by the wayside with this new infusion of wealthier people. I knew that I had to be part of helping those who the changes had displaced. I also knew that I could not just give money away and use that to justify my ego. I wanted, I needed to do something much more 'hands-on.' The only way to help was to get to know the people affected and their stories. What did they need?
I did not know the path forward precisely; it was more of an inside voice calling me in a direction. I got quiet and listened. I would make the discoveries I needed to make as I went along. My job was to start the journey. And so began the real story of my retirement, a life of service. It all started with a question, who am I? Little did I know at the time where it would take me or that this would become an amazing journey of self-discovery.
Thankful was originally published in November 2021.
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Next week - Thankful - Finding Grace. A retiree discovers that helping others teaches us a lot about ourselves.
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