Some of my friends have mentioned to me that they had difficulty making the transition from the world of work to the world of retirement. One person confided that he was a little disturbed when he realized that he had suddenly become a nobody after years of feeling like he was an important cog in the engine of society. I suppose we all have to come to grips with that.  No matter what kind of work you have done, it can be a little disturbing when you come to realize that you are no longer necessary.

In my own case, it took me about twenty-four hours to make the adjustment. Once I finally realized that I did not have to go to work, I went into a state of euphoria.

Suddenly, I was in a position to get up and do exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my active life. If I wanted to linger over my morning coffee for an extra thirty minutes, I could do so. I no longer had to worry about what kind of necktie I was going to wear that day. I no longer had to worry about what I was going to say when I sat around a conference table with a bunch of burning little egos, each trying to out-crow the other.

I found myself ecstatically happy lying on the ground trying to change attachments to the three point hitch on my tractor. I became so pleased with myself when I realized that, now that I had time to do it, I was a much better mechanic, plumber, electrician, and carpenter than I ever imagined. I got a real rush out of sawing down trees, watching them fall, and turning them into fuel for my woodstove. What could be more satisfying than climbing on the tractor and bush-hogging a field that was making the place look unsightly?

I learned very quickly that using a mattock, shovel, and posthole digger made your back and shoulders ache. But after using such hand tools on a regular basis for a while, I began to feel better, younger, and stronger than I had for years. It occurred to me that perhaps that’s what I should have been doing all my life.

I also discovered that when you use your hands every day, you hurt them. I am not talking about blisters and calluses. I’m talking about the real pain that comes with severely mashed fingers and deep cuts to your hands and wrists. When you lie under equipment using wrenches and screwdrivers, your hands are going to suffer some consequences. Or, when you are splitting firewood with a maul and wedges, you are going to mash a few fingers. That’s when you find out what you are made of!

Finally, I got a chance to enjoy the weather. What could be more fun than putting on some long underwear and a set of Carhartts, pulling your boggin down over your ears, climbing on your tractor on a winter morning when there is about a foot of snow on the ground with the mercury hanging near zero, and plowing your road out to the highway?

So my advice to those who feel a bit useless after they retire, get rid of those prissy neckties, move back off the two-lanes, pull on a set of Carhartts, and set about the task of discovering all of the things about yourself that you didn’t know.

Mack Samples is a well-known writer who lives in Clay County. He is also a musician who tours with the Samples Brothers Band.  Visit his website at www.macksamples.com.