Intellectual Stimulation

So delighted finding this thread- so many excellent ideas. I’ve already signed on a future learning course and have been exploring TED talks. Just what I need in my life.

I am amazed no one mentioned campaigning or volunteering. In my town there are lots of community groups who volunteer, campaign or lobby on topics like better mental health services, saving the NHS, against austerity, running a theatre or lobbying government on climate change. I am busier now than I have ever been and often wonder why I see so few retired people.

I love intellectual stimulation, long for it sometimes, I am NOT a snob but I find the people around me have little or no intellectual conversation, I live in another Country speak the language fluently, but I dont have lovely in depth conversations, my one stimulation is meeting my old work friends, we are so on the same level I love them popping in, it reallyis stimulating. I am grateful for suggestions given here today,I will definately try some online courses, before my brain stagnates!

If I were you I'd join MeetUp, a worldwide organisation which has innumerable (and I really mean that) groups on every subject and in every area imaginable.
It costs nothing to 'join' but a small fee, often as little as £1, to meet up in real life, with like minded people in whatever group(s) you choose to have a interest. You can dip in and out, in other words, there is no compulsion to go to any or every meeting of any group.
I highly recommend MeetUp. I do photography with various groups, coffee, cake and chat with others, books with another and walking...too many to mention.
I very much doubt that you'll be disappointed with the variety and levels of interest and expertise to be found. You are even encouraged to start your own offshoot group.
Good luck

An excellent thread. I'm feeling a bit guilty. I have stopped learning mostly due to ill health but I need to make a big effort as my brain is stagnating. I have joined a U3A scrabble group recently so thats a start! Women's Hour tomorrow and read the 'i' inside of just skimming through and doing the puzzles. Thanks Hillwalker70. I must add nothing will compare to circle dance. I wish our U3A had a group.

I too have done many courses with Future Learn and Coursera (although I didn't like their platform).

My favourite was Forensic Science (FL) where we had to solve a murder based on a real life case.

I've done many history, literature, philosophy, science, architecture and archaeology courses too. There are languages and cultural courses and much more. All free and taken at your own pace.

One of the ways I have found is living alone as I do.
A few years ago , I was on Saga Zone now defunct , but like Gransnet we used usernames.
Meetings were organised, and it was a way of getting to know the person properly my there real name, some led to contact private email or phone.
Also Gransnet have regional groups , where members can meet up at a venue for coffee etc.
Also I have found, being a bus user, seeing regular passengers , they get to know you, and a similar pattern occurs.
The other I go on coach trips, to shows, short breaks and holidays , plus day trips again same happens as you see familiar faces you start to talk.
Mick

Thank you for resurrecting this thread, annep1.

I try to find time each day to list to something from BBC Radio 4's In Our Time archive. There are over 800 broadcasts to choose from.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2Dw1c7rxs6DmyK0pMRwpMq1/archive

What a great thread with stimulating ideas. I do book group, U3A discussion and psychology groups, and neuroscience course which isn't U3A. I am involved with other campaigning type groups also. I think TED talks and YouTube are good and am very interested in the Future Learn course, thanks for posting that. I think it is good to meet up with others if you can, because social group discussions can be stimulating and encourage further research and encourage understanding and toleration of others and their opinions! I agree about men often dominating........you also learn assertiveness!

As a retired teacher I had enough intellectual stimulation in my career to last me a lifetime. I used to long for the day when I had nothing more to think about and do than what to have for dinner or whether the weather will be nice enough to hang the washing out. And I still feel like that.

I am afraid I am quite easily pleased these days. I listen to local radio and watch rubbish tv quite happily; I love make-up and fashion and like to look smart and take a pride in my appearance and enjoy shopping for clothes. I enjoy reading and belong to a book club. I go to yoga and two health walks a week. In summer I am always out in the garden. I found a group online whereby we meet up about once a month for lunch and have a chat. I go to our local art-house cinema a lot and have been to the cinema more times in the last couple of years than in the rest of my life put together. I belong to a wine club that meets monthly. I have booked a river cruise and an ocean cruise.

Today I shall enjoy just being at home, (getting over a bad cold), will do a few jobs, read, watch some tv (although it never goes on till 6pm) and cook. In my teaching days I used to long for days when I could do just that, and it pleases me.

I also read the Telegraph every day, do the puzzles and have a go at the cryptic crossword!

So lovely to read your post, Bluesapphire, it resonates with me so much, and I'm so glad to be not the only one who likes to do less taxing things sometimes,too. I am registered with futurelearn and am doing a couple of their courses at the moment, but I enjoy pottering too, like you - baking, reading, tv/radio, birdwatching, belonging to a few social groups, meeting up with two lovely GN's, meeting my friend who lives nearby, reading the newspapers (We get them at the weekend and they last me the week), to mention a few things.
As you say, in teaching you are rushing about like a mad thing, needing to be here, there and everywhere, attending this meeting and that meeting, doing courses, oh, and fitting in a bit of teaching, too ?etc, etc. It's so nice not to have that anymore! Not having to think very much sometimes does have its benefits!

Your post made me smile BlueSapphire. I'm glad you're enjoying your retirement and being able to relax. Life is for enjoying. I don't want too much stimulation either. But I do need to give my brain a shake. I go to art classes and I should be trying to learn techniques etc. I don't even do that. And I want to be more able to join in conversations about current affairs or other interesting topics instead of asking my husband to explain to me!
Men can be domineering. My plumber right now is doing just that. Why do tradesmen talk to the husband and ignore the wife??? ( sorry I digress)

I do know how to turn the mains water on!!

Since the deaths of a couple of my close friends last year I've " retired ". My life has been so full that I used to wonder if I could fit any more in but this last 6 months I've done nothing apart from reminiscing about the past. Thankfully my brain is still alert and I haven't sunk into a pit of darkness as I won't allow myself to do so and as I've already mentioned on another thread I have an immense interest in an on-going miscarriage of justice which I want to see through with hopefully the granting of an appeal this year.

Along with everything else I have followed this crime for the past 7 years and now I have more time to concentrate on every aspect of it. It fills in a lot of time as I keep abreast of any new updates.

There's more than enough to hold my interest as I like baking and love cooking and adding new tastes and variations to meals.
I like my music, various, and some TV and as the weather improves I'll be buying new plants etc.
I'm never bored and don't feel lonely, so I count myself very lucky as there are lots of people who aren't afforded a decent life.

Thank you for those comments! Late DH was no way an academic, more a hands on practical person; in his career he was a radio/ electrical engineer and had little interest in anything intellectual. But he loved reading and we would sit in companiable harmony reading our books, with local radio on in the background. Before he became unwell we used to walk a lot and were both keen photographers and had exhibited at a Midlands exhibition. That is the only thing I'm missing in my life - his presence. I can sit happily reading or pottering all day, but just miss having that special person there to do nothing with.

I know it is not everyone's cup of tea and some people hate it but I love Facebook. I am a member of lots of groups so see old picture and memories of places I have lived and where I live now . I also joined some cooking groups so get ideas from them and it keeps me in touch with what the DC and GC are doing .

Floradora9, I love fb too! I have joined a couple groups relating to the history and memories of my childhood town and it is fascinating to see the photographs on how it was and how it is now and to share my own memories.

Like Michael I enjoy chatting to people on the bus etc. You hear such interesting stories.
One day last week I was sitting having a rest while walking and got talking to a younger woman who had a mat of hair down to her bottom! She said she was a Rastafarian, and told me all about how she had found God and He told her not to cut her hair. Fascinating.
I also do some online studying. Husband plays bridge online for hours.

Hillwalker probably most universities have public lectures I know Surrey does and have been to some of theirs. Also another recommendation for a Book Group from me. Also some WI groups have regular speakers which give opportunity for information, entertainment and discussion.
I am lucky that DH and I meet regularly with our friends who all read, listen to music, go the theatre, cinema, exhibitions etc. so we talk amongst ourselves about what we have seen /done.
Not sure it is intellectual but DH & I are currently (as I browse on here!) listening and discussing music from an artist heard on Cold Feet (TV programme) last night!

Don't you just wonder how some people are bored when they retire!

What a refreshing post BlueSapphire. It's great retiring and ditching work responsibility, and enjoying life, pleasing yourself and sometimes just 'being'. I got fed up with people asking me when I retired, after quite a stressful job what I would tackle next. "Retire to bed and watch daytime tv" was my tongue in cheek reply. Life's not a competition after all.

Very true Lazygirl.

Adding also that I have a season ticket for our local Premiership rugby team, and follow rugby in the newspapers and on tv. And I looked after two DGDs from the age of 3 and ten months for half of each week until they started school.

You certainly haven't been lying in bed watching tv have you BS