Updated: 2/1/2008 8:43:39 AM
Reaching retirement age may present you with the perfect opportunity to catch up on some fly fishing, visit that vacation destination you always wanted to see, or spend some meaningful time with some family.
It can also present an opportunity for some volunteering you always meant to do.
When Knoxville resident Emily Dewhirst hit 63, she hit the road, traveling to a tiny town in Kazakhstan rarely visited by Westerners.
"They were fascinated, especially (because I was)a woman," Dewhirst said.
Dewhirst spent two years volunteering for the Peace Corps, teaching children and training teachers.
"Every single thing I had learned, from taking public speaking as a child to ballet lessons, I can't tell you, everything I had ever done in my life came in handy, and you feel good about being able to share with other people," she said.
Now, the Peace Corps is looking for more volunteers like Dewhirst.
Of the 8,100 Americans volunteering their time in the Peace Corps, only about 5 percent are 50 or older.
In 2008, the Peace Corps wants to double that number.
"I think it makes more sense than anything I've heard, mainly because there's a certain stability among the older volunteers," Dewhirst said. "Other countries view age differently than we do, and they respect older people. And, consequently, if you're going into a school to teach, if you are 50 years old, you're much more highly respected than you are if you're just right out of college."
Dewhirst put in her time, but she's not finished.
At age 78, she's ready to sign up all over again.
"I think you have to be motivated to really want to make a difference someplace, I think you have to have the energy, and you have to have a lot of people skills, and when they all roll into one, it's the most marvelous experience you could imagine," Dewhirst said.
You can also find more information at the Peace Corps website.
