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Perspective: How to be cool after you retire

Dust and Pixels
/
Unsplash

When I was in high school, I was a nerd. A dweeb. A drip.

There were, on the other hand, these popular cool guys with duck tail haircuts, loud cars, and hubcaps that would blind an elephant.  They wore holes in their jeans. Their insouciance was appealing.

I decided therefore that once I retired, I'd have nothing left to prove and could myself become a rebel at last. Then I realized that by then I lacked the energy.

Now I get holes in my trousers repaired and always replace my mufflers. I'm a dweeb in a quiet car. 

Tom McBride is co-author of the annual Beloit College Mindset List. He is a specialist in Shakespeare. For 42 years he taught at Beloit, where he won an award for excellence in teaching. He also coordinated the Mackey Distinguished Writers' Program and the First Year Initiatives Program.