Retirement Blog or Wither

Canadian Cancer Society volunteers in Winnipeg.

They live in their own homes. They can still drive. They can cook basic meals. Their bank accounts are in the green. Their sight is 80%. They have laptops. They are not happy.

They are retired. They have bouts of depression because they wake up to nothing, no destination for the day, no knowledge to contribute to life's DNA. But they do. They have all that experience that can put Google out of business.

Solution? Have a weekly blog about what you know best. You used to be an authority in the business. You flew all over the world as a guest speaker, or you used to cover the crime or business beat in the local newspaper.

Blog about it. I can’t. Yes you can. Do you know that some bloggers with parenting blogs don’t have kids, not even half kids? Do you know that some bloggers hire somebody to write the blogs?

You are ahead because you will write about something close to your heart, something you’ve been doing for plus years. Other bloggers have painting blogs but never worked professionally as painters. They just like it, a hobby.

First you need a name for your blog.

Retired Not Tired - great name for a blog, positive vibes that you’ll go on living, working.

The Retirement Mat - bad, gives out negative vibes that you just want to sit down and wait for death.

The Retirement Pub - nice and punchy but kids and grand kids won’t like it. They will think you want to sit in a pub all day.

The Retirement Treadmill - great name, gives the energy of going to the gym or running along the river or the park four times a week.

Retirement Eagles - perfect. It gives the impression of power, daredevil, soaring in the sky. 

Writing Skills

I’m currently reading a novel written by a medical doctor. I skip pages where he uses surgical and scientific language. You don’t want to lose readers, so write light. Use bullet points if you are explaining a process.

Keep it short, not more than eight paragraphs. The internet is illiterate. Why read eight paragraphs when you can switch to YouTube and watch YouTube Shorts? Talk to grand kids about writing light.

Readers are welcome but remember why you are blogging: to keep busy, to have a reason for waking up, to fill your day, to make your mind active again because you must constantly think about the next blog.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.