Pursuing lifelong dreams

Retiring from 31 years as a foreign service officer did not mean the end of working for John Beshoar, now 72.

Mr. Beshoar, an economist by trade, figured he could play golf or travel, which he did during his Navy and civilian service, but then what?

The Potomac Village resident knew he had to have a plan. Since he liked art history and going to museums, he figured a master’s degree in art history would provide an opportunity to teach or write. He took a few undergraduate art history courses and in 1995 was accepted into the graduate art history program at the University of Maryland in College Park. He graduated in December 2000 and shortly thereafter became an adjunct professor of art history at Montgomery College in Rockville, where he teaches one, sometimes two classes a semester.

“You really need to do something with your life other than sit back and enjoy yourself,” Mr. Beshoar says. “Life doesn’t end at 62 or 65, and most of us have a lot more to offer.”

Mr. Beshoar, like other area retirees, realizes the importance of continuing to work, volunteering or taking courses to develop a hobby or special interest.

“If you don’t use your brain, you’re going to drift off into dementia. You have to exercise it like you have to exercise your muscles,” Mr. Beshoar says.

Retirees who choose to return to work may not be able to afford to retire, or they want to keep active or pursue another interest through working or taking classes, says Jan Sinnott, professor of psychology at Towson University in Towson, Md.

“Thinking gets more complex as they get older. They see things from more perspectives,” says Ms. Sinnott, who holds a doctorate in psychology. “The classes [they take] reflect they have had a chance to move in this direction.”

A perspective unique to retirement involves realization that time is limited, says Renee Garfinkel, a psychologist with an independent practice in Northwest.

“If you’re in your 60s and you’re wise, you recognize even if you have everything going for you, you have a limited number of years you can be productive,” says Ms. Garfinkel, who holds a doctorate in psychology.

Studies show that older adults who keep busy and their mind active benefit both mentally and physically, says Gary Hong, program director of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Montgomery College, a noncredit program that fosters educational opportunities for adults age 50 and older.

“They’re enrolling to learn new things and to a lesser scale to meet people interested in that particular subject,” Mr. Hong says.

The Lifelong Learning Institute, which serves an average of 1,500 seniors a year, offers beginning and advanced courses in a variety of subjects, including art, music, history, languages, computers and writing, and a chance for seniors to audit credit courses in other subjects. Seniors also can take credit courses outside the program.

Continuing education art instructor Sandy Klingenberg teaches an advanced oils and acrylics class through the Lifelong Learning Institute that many seniors return to session after session.

“They’ve really gotten good. A lot of them are selling paintings and exhibiting,” Ms. Klingenberg says.

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