“I’m 70 and retired from aerospace as an engineer. I’m enjoying life. The added freedom is great, and I’m trying to find a way to fill my hours, see what works and what doesn’t. I’ve tried digital music and videos. I’m probably looking to start a part-time consulting business. I volunteer for law enforcement.
This is Maggie. She’s a third chance dog from the shelter. Since I live alone, I read that owning a dog adds to your life. So I went out to the Irvine Animal Shelter and got her. She’s smart and loves to chase squirrels.
When I was at UC Berkeley, I originally started in International Law. At that point in time, I didn’t see where it lead me in life, so I switched to Manufacturing Engineering and found that rewarding.
I worked on the ISS (International Space Station), the truss structure, which is the backbone that holds [the ISS] together. That was probably my crowning achievement.
I also worked on the C-17 program for about six years. It’s a cargo plane in Long Beach for the Air Force.
I worked for Indianapolis racing cars, mostly on engines for races. I go to the Long Beach Grand Prix every year. I like events like that. I love to people watch; just the whole experience like that, I really like.
You gotta be open to new and different experiences as they come along. When I look around at my friends and people I know at my age, I see that there’s so much life that we could’ve taken hold of. If I did it again, I would live my life as if I didn’t need a job. You can get materialistic and lose sight of things; that new car I bought 40 years ago is probably rusting now. I could’ve taken trips and met other people.
Go out there and experience life. You never know. You might find another passion elsewhere. Just go out and enjoy life. Don’t be afraid, worried. It’s not going to bite you.
Take lots of pictures. People you meet. Places you’ve gone. It’s amazing. You’ll look back and say, ‘I did that?!’ Challenge yourself to do something that scares you. Face your fears. Last thing you want to do is say, ‘I’ve always wanting to do that, but I’ve been afraid.’ Go to North Dakota, or Idaho, and talk to people. Talk to gold miners in Nevada. Never let what people think of you guide your life. Talk to strangers when you get a chance.”
Excerpt paraphrased and edited for clarity.