Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2017 Issue
By Martha Beach
As a teacher, you’re on the clock 24/7. Everything reminds you of a possible science experiment, history project, or art piece. Every day is scheduled; weekends and evenings are spent marking and planning. Other than some precious weeks in the summer before you start to gear up for September, your life plan is set.
Retirement—where every day is unscheduled, wide open, and full of possibilities—may seem like a dream. Now is the time to reorganize the garage and paint the fence, digitize that old family photo album, read that stack of novels, and watch that season of Downton Abbey you somehow missed when it aired. But eventually you realize: you have nothing to do.
Martha Beach lives and works in Toronto as a freelance fact-checker, editor, and writer for a wide variety of publications. When she’s not working, you’ll find Martha on her yoga mat or hanging out with her daughter and husband.
