Keeping Busy and Keeping Up

REUNION SEMINAR

Reunions, long satirized as havens for beer-drinkers who like to wear funny hats, nolonger quite fit the Benchley mold. There nowis something for everyone: mini-marathons,theater (serious and absurd), encountersessions, all manner of athletic competition,chamber music, art exhibits, and beer-drinking in funny hats. There also are reunionseminars, involving discussions about greatand not-so-great issues by faculty, alumni experts, and reunion participants. ShelbyGrantham reports here and in the pages following on four of the 1978 seminars.

"Are You Planning - To Retire?" brought together Robert Reno '38, Thomas McGrath '38, Alexander Calder '38, Cora Emlen ('38), and James Epperson - four business executives, one "good wife," and a Dartmouth professor of English. Two of the executives were retired, and they spoke of the need for continuing to live and keep busy in retirement. The not-yet-retired executives spoke of their plans for continuing to live; and keep busy in retirement. The wife (herself retired) spoke of keeping busy trying to keep up with her retired husband's continuing to live and keep busy.

The professor, who apologized for being but a "mere stripling of 46," dilated upon old age as seen by some of the great writers - Shakespeare, Johnson, Thoreau, and Yeats. He concluded this rather depressing recital by waving aside their pessimism with a bright admonition to his audience to "Keep on living!"

After the speakers were done, the audience demonstrated a desire to go somewhat more deeply into the matter. "I couldn't plan," said one man. "I was given two weeks' notice and forced to retire." "What about those of us who are not well-to-do executives?" asked another. "Some of us need to work. We need the money." Another member of the audience wanted to know where he might get advice about insurance and options in retirement. (Answer: "Contact the American Association of Retired Persons.") "Whatever you do, don't bug your wife," advised a doctor, and the audience whooped. "Get into politics," yelled somebody else. "There's tremendous apathy there." There were several suggestions as to how to make money on your own. Various sports and hobbies, notably traveling, were also recommended. Nobody said anything at all about volunteer work - hospital work, childcare work, work with the elderly, that sort of thing.

After a while, someone on the panel said, "We have miles to go before we sleep," and the seminar was over.