Calzone and Robert Blu - your words are so inspiring, to me and I am sure to many others. What you wrote expressed my own thoughts about retirement, ageing, finding new meaning in our after-work lives, and of course our photography, how we are able to enhance and expand our lives by reaching out and contributing to the world. So many good thoughts for me to consider and, I hope, act on. Many thanks.
In my small Covid-restricted world I've tried to give back to my community and society. In 2020 and 2021 I donated time and some funds to a neighbourhood volunteer center' assisting those less fortunate and in need of support. We got donations of household items and in a few urgent cases food, clothing, school books, small cash payments for expenses poor families and individuals could not cover on their own - payments for phones, electricity and gas, money to cover overdue rent or medicines not funded by our Medicare system. We had many difficulties and problems, notably when word got out that we were "soft touches" for free money and a few opportunists not really in need were travelling 50 and even 100 miles with their fabricated sad stories, looking for a handout. This was disheartening, but we made some hard decisions and disposed of these gimme-gimme shysters. Those in real need were given what help we could. All hard work, difficult at times, but satisfying.
I also volunteered time to an animal rescue shelter taking in small wildlife injured and traumatised in bush fires and other natural disasters, as well as unwanted small dogs and cats, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and even pet rats. So many sad stories, from elderly people who loved their animals but had to give them up. More than 200 homeless creatures (even a few cuddly small koalas!) were taken in and housed temporarily, cared for (a few had been badly neglected and needed vet care, and eventually returned to the wild or placed in new homes - one mother rat gave birth to seven babies which certainly added to our challenges, but happily no animals we took in had to be euthanised.
There were some in our town who said, "they are only animals, why do you bother??" to which my answer was, "pets are people too". To those of a Buddhist turn of mind, this is a crucial life principle - all are living beings who did not ask to be born, and we have a duty and a responsibility to them.
In late April a new community group will open to assist refugees and I plan to be involved, this time on the executive committee and involved in establishing the guidelines to help locals in need, to ensure our aid is given fairly and where it will be most effective. So new challenges - and demands on my time and energy. I look forward to helping as much as I can.
In Australia know we've had devastating floods in two states with so many homeless and without possessions. Again we will help as we can, but it isn't yet clear how charities and aid groups can help. There is also the Ukraine with so many refugees. We want to do all we can, but our time and money are finite.
This thread is really about photography and how we are coping in our retirement. Let's move on.
