He's Back!!!

Hello!  It’s been 11 months since my most recent (and farewell) blog post published on my last day of work.

I’ve spoken to a few of my old colleagues and store friends over these past months… and the consensus is that In My Humble Opinion should go forward.  So here goes…

The mission of IMHO was always to blend a personal family life with my connection to The Bridal Industry - which I spent over 35 years engrossed in.  It was a rewarding 35 years on several levels, but most of those levels are gone.  I occasionally “speak” to a few stores, either by text or phone; but I do “miss” the almost daily connections I had with literally hundreds of people in Bridal.  But things change and nothing lasts forever.  I understand that everyone has to “move on” when a rep retires.  I have moved on into my “new life”, and the stores have moved on with the new sales agents who replaced me.  It’s like the “Circle of Life.”  But we can still “keep in touch.”

Looking back on my career brings back nothing but fond memories.  I have spoken to my old bosses a few times over the last year, and it sounds like things are going well.  They are now into the 2nd season AH (After Howard)… and Michael and Eileen seem to have settled in nicely with their new job(s).  

As for me, I am doing great.  I love being retired and am NEVER bored.  I can’t really say exactly what it is that I do every day, except to say that I feel like I always have something going on.  I now refer to myself as a piddler(sp), as I love doing the little projects around the house (both inside and out) that I never found time for when I was working.  It’s amazing how quickly your to-do list can grow if you are looking for things that need doing!  I’m also reading a ton, which is something I could never do while I was working… except when I was at the beach.  I just couldn’t turn my brain off long enough to concentrate on a book.  The fact that I am able to read nowadays is a great indication of a “freeing of the mind” that retired life has given me.  

I still work out religiously 3 days a week and I feel great!  I’ve been able to keep off the 30 pounds I lost 2 years ago, and I still get around pretty well for a 70 year-old.  Carol and I walk a ton (as long as it’s above 50 degrees), and I’ve even gotten in a few rounds of golf.  My sons, DILs, and grandkids (8) are all doing well, and summertime lends itself to regular get-togethers for birthdays and holidays - or just an “office day” at Nanny and PopPop’s, where the kids can spend a day in the pool (and stay off of their phones) - while their parents work remotely from our house.

We spent a good bit of the last year traveling.  My bucket list had always included seeing Italy - particularly Tuscany and Florence.  I started planning for my retirement trip LAST January, and we took off from PHL in late September for Florence.  We spent 2 glorious weeks there, and it was the trip of a lifetime.  Florence was amazing, but my favorite part of the trip was Tuscany.  We stayed in the countryside at an Agriturismo near Multepulciano  (which was also a winery) and we arrived the day of the grape harvest - which was fascinating to see first hand.  I had a couple of cases of wine shipped home for my friends and family.  I’m more of a white wine person when I do drink… but the people I shared the Tuscany Red with loved it.  The week we spent exploring the rolling hills of Tuscany was magical - we must have stopped in 20 different towns in Tuscany alone… each one cooler than the last.  If you’ve ever been to Tuscany you know how I feel; if not - I highly recommend it. 

We spent our family vacation at the beach in North Carolina last August, The Grass Family has been going to The Outer Banks for over 30 years now, and it was little more relaxing knowing that I didn’t need to rush home and leave for Chicago Market the next day!  We even went back down for Thanksgiving Week for the first time, and the kids met us there.  A beach house in November is quite different from one in August, but a good time was had by all.  (Who says you can’t eat ice cream for dessert every night in November just as easily as you can in August?)  And then out to Palm Springs, CA for our annual escape from winter with the Chloe-dog, who turned 15 and is still plugging along.  We just LOVE it out there (I’d move to PS if my whole family didn’t live a half-hour away from us in Chester County.) 

It seems that my first year away from the bridal industry has been an “interesting” one.  Hopefully the tariff situation resolves itself soon - this industry is hard enough without the uncertainty of the past 6 months.  I’ve seen the bridal stores survive a pandemic, so I have no doubt they will be just fine.  And my rep friends that are still working all seem to be navigating things alright; my hope is that this ends up being just a “blip on the radar screen” 6 months from now.  This however is the kind of stress I DON’T miss!

My website has been revamped to remove all the work related pages and info, but a landing page still is active HERE, with a link to contact me… and of course my blog.

Before I close I’d like to share something with you…

My goal in life has always been to be happy.  I’m pretty good at it and I recommend it to everyone.  Add in good health and it’s a home run!  I’m still big into wellness and fitness, and really try to take care of myself.  Most experts agree that a good night’s sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise will go a long way towards a healthy existence.  Carol and I are pretty diligent with all three of these, not to mention we don’t drink, smoke, nor partake in recreational drugs.  Bottom line is we’re pretty healthy for people going on 71.  But what about being happy?  Is happiness genetic?  Is it something one can learn to be “good” at?  Here is a link to a fascinating NYT article about the longest study on record on the secret of happiness and good health:

Click HERE.

If there’s a paywall, you can email me and I will send you the copy.

It’s a pretty long read, so I’ll do my best to summarize: Harvard University began a study in 1939 to study this exact subject, and it’s the longest running study of it’s kind - ever.  And it’s still going!  The project is so old that several PHDs have led the study over the years.  The study has been tracking people for close to a century, and collecting data on all kinds of different health related factors through yearly interviews and extensive physiologic tests.  Some of the first participants attended Harvard, and some lived in the tenements of South Boston.  (JFK was an early participant.)  And they’ve been adding new people to the study on a regular basis.  Some of the first year subjects are still alive… and a few are still part of the ongoing study!  Even their wives were added to the study in it’s later years.  What they found was that these above mentioned best health practices of sleep, diet, and exercise were NOT the keys to who ended up being happy, living longer, and maintaining a sharp mental acuity well into their 80s.  The thing that mattered most was the quantity and quality of one’s interpersonal connections and relationships.  Most fascinating to me was that they found that the optimum age to be in a good marriage (or just having good relationships with friends and family) was the age of 50.  Go figure - I’m almost 21 years “past my prime”!

The most famous of the doctors leading this study was a psychiatrist by the name of Robert Waldinger, now well into his 80s.  He became a Buddhist Monk later in life, and gave one of the most watched TED talks ever in 2015 on this very subject…it has been watched over 50 MILLION times.  Here’s a link to the TED Talk if you’re interested.  It’s less than 13 minutes and most certainly worth the time…IMHO. 

Robert Waldinger: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness

https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_the_longest_study_on_happiness?utm_source=rn-app-share&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tedspread

So stop scrolling on your phone and call a good friend or loved one.   Or write someone a note, or just hug your spouse or significant other and tell them that you love them.  Turns out you’ll both live longer and happier as a result.

Till next time.

Peace and love,

H