Retirement isn’t all about you.
Nature proves this point.
Estrangement from nature is a societal ill.
Getting outside regularly and responsibly absorbing the sun’s rays is more valuable than any pill in your medicine cabinet.
Unfortunately, when some of us do journey out, we end up screwing mother nature.
Americans love pesticide-laden lawns and over-pruned foundation plantings. The havoc created by maintenance protocols is inestimable. Mowers belching pollutants and blowers creating category-five hurricane conditions for billions of micro-organisms needed to maintain our planet are at the forefront of this path of destruction.
We do this to proclaim our deluded vision of our superiority over nature.
Our motto to paraphrase JFK: What can this landscape do for me, not what can I do for the landscape?
Nature doesn’t exist in a vacuum. All life is connected.
Birds and insects depend on native plants to continue the cycle of life. Native plants are superior pollinators, and our food supply depends on them. Bees don’t need us, but we need them. Yet, we continue to slaughter them on a massive scale by removing their food supply in favor of sterile lawns. Nature isn’t a zero-sum game. If we win, everyone loses.
A simple solution is for people to segregate a portion of their property and return it to nature. Leave the leaves and let Native plants grow.
Here’s an actionable tip for the fall: instead of buying Mums, plant perennial native Asters. Unlike Mums, perennial Asters return yearly; sometimes, self-seed produces more plants. This option is much better for the planet and your pocketbook. The bees love them. Aster flowers close up in the evening, and the bees sleep inside them! Doing this will beautify your property and connect you to nature. There is no better feeling than connecting to something bigger than yourself. (I planted these a few years ago.)
Concerning connection, too many retirees choose misery instead of enjoying their precious few remaining years.
Brainwashed by the negativity bias of the media, they sit glued in front of cable’s daily lineup of angertainment. The topics are endless—from conspiracy theories concerning everything under the sun to the uselessness of the younger generation.
What makes things worse is that the data doesn’t corroborate the tales of American horror.
In his post, The New Normal of Negativity, my colleague Ben Carlson points this out.
We’re the wealthiest, most prosperous nation on the planet, and there’s no close second (sorry, China).
I know we’re in an election year, which colors the messaging, but it feels like no one is celebrating this fact.
America is an imperfect nation, but Like Winston Churchill once stated, Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others.
Too many retirees segregate themselves into blue or red teams instead of joining Team Humanity. Another disconnection is believing a false narrative about the Good Old Days, alienating them from younger generations.
Retirement portfolios need to include connectivity as an asset class. These include but are not limited to, volunteering, looking for what’s good in the world instead of evil, and being open-minded towards people with different world views.
Retirement should be a big tent, not an angry silo.
Turn off the TV, go outside, and plant some Asters.
Understanding it’s not all about you is the best thing for your retirement and the world you’re a tiny part of.
