By T. R. Shaw Jr.
As I write on Labor Day weekend, 2020 I find it extremely unusual, especially this year as we still deal with COVID-19. We have no college football, and we wear sweatshirts following a summer where we had 24 days above 90 degrees; wonderful and unusual for a Michigan summer.
Recently, I thought about September in music. September may be one of the most sung about and celebrated months of the year. Many tunes come to mind. Sinatra’s September of my Years is a melancholy refrain on looking back at a life and lost loves. Neil Diamond’s September Morn is another tune which romances the month and recognizes life changes. And then there’s the jazzy and upbeat Earth, Wind and Fire’s September! The very first lyric is, Do You Remember? Add to that the classic, sung by many artists, Try to Remember…the time in September; when life was slow and oh, so mellow…
Typically, Labor Day always has a hint of sadness to. It marks the end of summer and we transition to a busy fall. The days shorten and the temperature drops. We think about all the things we never got around to, friends we wanted to see, and places we didn’t go. In the wonder and excitement of summer, time seems to slip away from us. In some ways that’s part of what makes Labor Day a sad affair.
September
in many ways is a metaphor for life.
It’s placement in our calendar is a time of transition from summer and
brings us the autumnal equinox. September is a time of organizing, preparing
and remembering. School starts and our
lives take on a new frenzy. It’s a time
when we bring in the harvest of another season.
Recently,
I turned 60 and September has taken on a new meaning for me; as Sinatra croons,
I’ve reached the “September of my Years.”
To use a football
analogy, I’m now firmly in the third quarter of life. There is still a lot of game to be played,
but you realize that halftime is over and you are forced to manage the clock
for the rest of the game.
I
had of a lot of accomplishments in my first half. I finished college, served in the U.S. Navy,
had a dual career as a funeral director and Navy Reservist, dove into
community affairs and built a life of service.
Professionally, I was fortunate I
could see coming trends and sold our funeral home at the top of its game. The past five years the funeral profession, and societies’
norms have changed profoundly.
At
first, I felt liberated and was excited for the next challenge in life. I had hoped to resurrect my first career in communication,
and I imagined my own public relations firm.
My wife and I set it up and did a lot of free PR work, hoping to parlay
it into a steady income. That hasn't really happened…yet. We are still hopeful.
I
was 55 years old when I sold the funeral home, and moved on, but I faced the
constant question, “How’s retirement?” I
considered it halftime, not retirement, but I pushed on and finally responded
that I am not retired, I’m building my fourth career. I considered myself far too young to be the
ranks of the retired.
In
the past five years, I did a lot of writing, produced newsletters for
organizations, did communication for a capital campaign, served the community
on boards and committees, wrote, published and promoted a book, and did lots of speaking events. Hardly retired in my opinion.
This
year I turned 60 and gained some new perspective as many of my friends and
colleagues my age, took early retirements and buy outs, especially with the pandemic. Many of them express how much they love retirement,
and are having the time of their life. I
still want to remain relevant and play a role in the world, I guess it’s in my
nature. I now have time to make a
difference and want to make the best of it, even though I’m in the September of my Years, there is still
much more to do and accomplish.
While
September brings a different perspective, let us use the time we have well. The world needs the perspective and wisdom of
those with experience as my generation moves into senior status.
Many of us have a lifetime of skills and knowledge that can still change and impact the world, and may soon be forgotten. We’ve seen a lot, and done a lot, but the game is far from over.
The second half of our lives can, and should
be, our finest hours if we choose to make them so.
T. R. Shaw Jr. is CEO of Shaw Communication in Battle Creek, Michigan. He is the author of DEFY THE IMMEDIATE, a Journey of Failure, Perseverance and Success and active in many community affairs. www.trshawjr.com
