Retirement ..... A Great Place to Reinvent Yourself! By Ron Salandro

Fantasy Football and Retirees! By Ron Salandro

     So listen .... now that we don't work, there is still this tremendously overwhelming urge to control something.  Here's an idea ..... FANTASY FOOTBALL!  Yep, it's the solution to one of our retirement delimas, something to do that makes us feel useful and in charge.   For those of you who are not totally familiar with this multi billion dollar enterprise, that's right I said billion .... I'll try to summarize so you get the idea of the origin and beginnings of .... ' FANTASY FOOTBALL'.   As far back as 1984 .... hey wasn't that the same year George Orwell wrote about? ..... Kind of funny when you think about it, 'Big Brother' .... watching and all, but I stray from my story.  It seems that one day these absolutely fanatical fans came to a conclusion, that because their teams were so bad, they weren't going to be able to maintain their intrest for an entire season, especially if the team they cheered for was eliminated from Super Bowl contention in the first month.  Hence, they came up with this solution.  What if they could use the best players in the league from all the team's, and compete against each other .... 'for fun and bragging right's' .... This would keep them interested in every NFL game's outcome.  They would track the statistics and see how the weekly games affected their newly formed Fantasy Team's.  Now mind you ....  only Quartebacks, Running Backs, Wide Recievers, Kickers, and Team Defenses would make up these Fantasy Teams.  Each teams owner would choose their starting roster, to include .... a Quarterback, Running back, Two Wide Receivers, a Kicker, and a Team Defense.  Then they assigned point values using statistics from weekend games, and hence create a competition.  There it was, the perfect armchair FOOTBALL league, a league where fanatically frustrated fans could manage a team the way they thought it should be.  It was brilliant .... a way to stay relevant in a world of irrealencecy. The next step was really the genius of the new plan.  They would get together just like the real NFL and draft players from all the team's.  They would determine a draft order by a blind draw, and then proceeded to draft two quarterbacks, two running backs, four wide receivers, two kickers, and a team defense.  Oh, and one more thing, names, yeah they needed team names .... that's when the fun really started.  They chose team names that identified with what was going on in the world at the time.  Some of these names were out there, and the further out,  the better.  A couple early examples .... "Imelda Shoes" .... "The California Rasins" .... and how about this one .... "The Wee Wee Rubber Sheets"!  Yep, they were having fun, probably never thinking thirty three years later that this crazy idea would be played around the world for fun .... and BIG MONEY.  That's right .... kick off weekend this year, one company .... 'Draft Kings' .... is offering a billion dollars if you can draft the perfect team through the first weekends games. Crazy! .... but true.
   
     Okay, now maybe you can see where I'm going with this idea.  Let's say you're feeling a little out of the loop, not having a purpose, needing to get that control element back in your life that you enjoyed when you were working.  This is it!  Your the boss again .... in control .... making decisions .... heck maybe you could even make a few bucks, if you end up playing in a MONEY league.  But think of it, something to look forward to every weekend .... and during the week determine how you can improve your team, by trading players or picking someone off the waiver wire.  You have so many option available, and you can choose what leagues to join.  There are local leagues or leagues from many locations from any where in the world.  Heck you could join multiple leagues, surely that will fill some of those retirement hours, and you won't even have to get off the couch.  One thing though, you are going to need to know a little about computers and programs that these leagues now use to keep track of statistics instantly.  That is one area that has changed since the creation of 'Fantasy Football' thirty some years ago. Back then points were compiled manually using the Monday morning sports pages.  Today, using a phone, tablet, or computer, you are kept up to date as the action takes place during any game.  You know .... I'm guessing that the popularity of the NFL can be attributed to many things, but probably none more so than  FANTASY FOOTBALL.

    I leave you with this final thought .... if you are feeling left out, bored, displaced, or just wanting something to do, check this out.  It maybe the answer you've been looking for .... That chance to take control of something again and be the .... BIG BOSS!

What If You Could Unretire From Rertirement? by Ron Salandro

      Oh my,  It's been a while since I posted, but.....I'M BACK!  The fall, what an interesting time of year.  When I was teaching, it was a time for great anticipation, a sense of anxiety and a brief twinge of panic about the coming year.  Well, it has been eight years since I have experienced those feelings.  That's right .... eight tears since I retired from teaching.  So it makes perfect sense that this time of year stirs up those old juices .... you know, the ones that sometimes makes us wish that we were still doing things we loved the most.  Now wait, before you start thinking that I'm off the rails here, I'm just saying,  I miss a part of that dynamic.  Listen, I realize that I probably would find everything about the job of teaching now, to be tremendously different and challenging  from the day I hung up my dry board erasers.  Still, there's a part of me that longs for that challenge of the classroom environment, and all that it offers.
   
     Okay, now that I have stated my feelings, I was just wondering what if  there were some magic beans available that would allow me to, just temporarily .... unretire, and explore the days of old once again.  Now mind you, I would still want the option of cancelling this whole deal, without any consequences to me or my current situation.  Right about now, if you're still with me on this, you have to be thinking, 'Yeah, he's crazy!  Nope, I don't think so .... we have "do overs" all the time.  Instant replays in sports, second chances with relationships, grace periods for mortgages, just to mention a few.  So to me it makes perfect sense to have a retirement "do over"! Right?  Look, I'm not saying this is what all retirees feel or want, but for the ones, like myself, this would be an awesome experiment.

    So, summing up this fantasy experiment, let's review.  First, we work hard all our life at a job, and as we grow older, our energizes dissipate.  Therefore, we began to plan, anticipate, and look forward to the day we can retire.  And for the most  part, it's one of the very special times in our lifetime.  There are so many things to look forward to when the time comes for the responsibility of having to be somewhere everyday has now been removed.  Don't get me wrong, 'Retirement' is necessary, rewarding, and for the most part, is a  welcomed financially and emotionally.  But what if, at least for some of us the chance to 'Unretire', and once again stir those juices?

They Are Who We Thought They Were!

I love this line! .... Former Arizona Cardinals football coach Dennis Green, created this infamous one liner in a press conference immediately following a devastating loss to the Chicago Bears .... when it was suggested by a reporter that maybe they under estimated their opponent and weren't prepared for their personnel! .... You see, there are many things in life that don't always reflect the real facts! .... There's a cute story out there that once a guy walked into a bar that was fairly crowed. He proceeded to order a drink and shortly there after, removed from his briefcase .... a tiny piano .... a mouse .... and a parakeet! .... The patrons were curious and became amazed when the man instructed the mouse to play and the bird to sign!  The mouse played brilliantly and the bird sang with an unbelievable operatic voice.  When they finished and the crowd settled, a very wealthy patron walked up to the man and offered him $100, 000.00 for the parakeet.  He agreed to the price and promptly handed over the bird!  When he was gone, the bartender approached than man and said, ' You are crazy, you could have gotten millions for the bird and you settled for a mere $100,000.00!'  The man smiled sheepishly and said,' No big deal, the mouse is a Ventriloquist!' .... So here's the lesson I take from both of these scenarios, I need to examine and believe in what the truth is, and don't get caught up in the excitement of the moment and overreact! .... I need to make sure that in all cases, and with everything that I do from this point forward ....  I Know Who I Thought They Were!

Changing The Rules .... Or Enforcing Them?

In case you haven't noticed, many of my post are analogies of some thing or someone in sports! .... Let's face it .... I Love Sports! .... Not just the game but the psychology, intricacies, and nuances of the games.  I consider myself a true sports freak because I am versed in all sports and pride myself in knowing most all rules of all sports .... even obscure sports like field hockey .... squash .... lacrosse ....even water polo! .... Although I must admit that I still haven't figured out how they get those horses to hold their breath under water! .... All right I kid! .... But seriously, water polo is a very physically demanding sport, and considering that I'm not exactly 'Aquaman' when it comes to the water, I have great respect for anyone that plays! ....  As I told my students many times when I was teaching, don't just be a fan, be an enthusiast! .... Understand the rules and appreciate all sports! .... A true sports fan makes it a point to know the rules to help enjoy what you are watching! .... You will be better prepared  and appreciate the strategies imposed by coaches, managers, and players! .... A perfect example of what I am talking about is never more relevant than right now with all the talk and controversy involving the NFL .... and the focus on illegal hits and safety issues of players! .... As a fan, if you don't know at least the basics of the rule that applies to this topic, you may become someone that looses interest, and listen only to the opinion of others and make those opinions yours! ....  There is hardly a person .... sports fan or not  .... that hasn't watched television or viewed a web page this week, and have seen displayed the hits by .... Brandon Meriweather .... James Harrison .... and Dunta Robinson  .... in NFL games this past weekend! .... So here's the issue with all of this! .... Is the NFL really trying to make the game safer and prevent some catastrophic unthinkable injury, or are they just covering their butts? .... As a true sports fan you need to know .... Rule 12 ....  and how it covers 'Helmet to Helmet 'hits! .... Then, as an knowledgeable fan, you will be part of the solution, by formulating your own opinion .... instead of relying on others! ....  From this Sunday forward .... games .... plays .... players .... teams .... and outcomes .... will be dramatically different from what we have been accustomed! .... You know, the funny thing here is how closely sports mirror life! .... So what is the .... 'Rule 12' of life ? ....  The  'Helmet to Helmet' hit! .... Whatever it is ....  I'm going to make sure that I  understand and know it as best I can ....  to judge wisely what I see .... as I see it!

Oh Great ..... Rain!

Terrific .... the forecast the next couple of days is for rain .... clouds .... and gray skies! .... Unbelievable,  this is supposed to be sunny Southern California! ....  Some of you who know me realize that I have pet peeves about things in nature .... Wind .... Trees .... and .... Rain! .... Trees and rain being the worst! .... It's probably because growing up on the East Coast, a good week would be if the weather forecast was for mostly cloudy and cool with an 80% chance of rain daily ....  and a slight chance of ever seeing the sun! .... Okay .... I exaggerate, but only slightly!.... In addition, if you have not been back east, the problem is that with the exceptions of the big cities, there are so many trees that even when the sun shines in certain places .... you still can't see it! .... Call me crazy .... give me those 350 days of clear skies .... I'll figure out a way to shade myself without a 'Rain-forest'! .... Think about  it .... 'Rainforest'  .... those two words alone should strike terror in the hearts of any sun loving soul! .... See, here's the thing .... natural forces are like friendships and relationships! .... If you are fortunate enough to be in a geographical location where things are constant, the stress of daily life only needs to be about our work .... or off time! .... On the other hand, living in a location that is unpredictable, with a major chance for climate variances .... besides work, what do you have? .... What you have is a better chance to focus on interpersonal contact! .... In my opinion .... trees represent .... friendships and relationships! .... They provide the cover that shields and hides us temporally from the inevitable .... it's raining and we're going to get wet! ... So unlike trees that thrive in rain .... we get a false sense of security .... we are tricked by are own mind into thinking .... that just because we can't see it or feel it .... it's not raining! .... And what about rain? .... Maybe the rain is the real culprit .... at least for me! .... Even on the rare days when it does rain it's a problem for me!.... Instead of performing the wonderful function that nature intended .... which is to give life and hope by washing away dirt and debris, and providing the basic element humans require (water) .... rain leaves me sloshing in the dirt and debris of others! .... You would think that things would be good once the rain stops .... but for me .... as I look out the window in this down pour .... I see only gray skies and debris!

In Search Of ....!

This is so cool! .... I decided that being retired,  gives me a lot of time to explore new opportunities!  .... One of those opportunities comes with the understanding that everyone has to eat! .... So I thought that since I have to eat anyway, why not make it a little more interesting! .... Some of you may remember a television show a few years ago that was called .... 'In Search Of' .... I think the premiss at the time was for the reporters to travel around the world and discover unusual people .... events .... or locations.  Anyway it was entertaining, especially since it aired before the age of the Internet and everything else that is at our fingertips today! .... Still,  I thought it would be fun .... since I have a few extra minutes of time each day anyway .... to explore what most people don't agree is .... that sandwiches are not fast food! .... Okay for the most part they are! .... Even the Earl himself thought so when he created the 'Sandwich' .... as a late night snack several centuries ago! .... Never the less, I think since the sandwich originated from such royal beginnings, it should be dignified with more attention payed to it than let's say .... pizza .... or ,,,, tacos! ....  I'm still going to post my life and 'Retirement' as I see it .... including my opinions on everything and anything that moves me .... but in addition, I will be posting on another site .... that I call .... 'One Great Sandwich' .... pretty much everyday! .... The website is .... ongreatsandwich.blogspot.com .... and I will also link that through my Facebook page. (Hopefully in a day or two I'll have found my first 'Great Sandwich'! ) .... When I looked at the vastness of this project it was a little overwhelming .... but hey ....  Rome wasn't built in a day .... and the Steelers don't win every Super Bowl! .... But the facts are that like the Romans and the Steelers .... I'll try .... and always be  .... ' In Search Of ' .... that .... 'One Great Sandwich!'