My dad was in a similar situation when he retired from chemistry research. He tried a bunch of things, some of which stuck, some of which didn't but still passed the time and got him into outside interactions. In no particular order some of them were: tutoring maths to adults, tending a community garden vegetable plot, being the treasurer for the local naturalist society, research for a local history group, joining a…
> *IMHO your dad's new hobby should be to keep trying new stuff*
That's a good idea. I'm going to suggest that. Thanks
Take him to a soaring glider club and get him a discovery flight. It's like sailing in the sky. It's non physical, usually full of older men who do more socializing than flying, and it offers both a sense of excitement and a new perspective on the world. It might be that after a life long sedentary career, floating above the earth in tranquility will be a nice change. It's like $100, and even if he doesn't want to co…
Interesting suggestion, but I that would scare the crap out of him :)
OSS sounds like a terrible idea. Little human interaction, lots of toxicity from entitled developers. Development could be a nice hobby but it's not easy on the eyes and doesn't make you move. Get him into stretching / light fitness / bodyweight training: it can definitely become a passion / hobby and will keep him healthy (within limits)
This seems to be the sentiment from others as well. I'll probably refocus efforts on finding a less isolating and arduous hobby and instead look for more social, physical, and entertaining hobbies. Thanks for your input.
Not programming, but what about Bridge? Every older person I know who plays it seems to get rather obsessed and it's very social.
I've heard of Bridge, but had no idea how it's played. I looked it up and it's totally not what I expected. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the suggestion.
The brain science people are finding that making music, i.e. singing or playing a musical instrument, is likely to be very good for maintaining brain health. Additionally, because it is a physical activity, it encourages old folks to keep their bodies functioning reasonably well so that they can enjoy their music hobby. That brings us to exercise, which is a great thing if you can enjoy it. Easy exercise, e.g. walkin…
Congrats on retiring. Thanks for the suggestions. I've added them to my list. Following your example, it sounds like maybe I should encourage my dad to seek those simpler hobbies instead of getting involved in programming, which can be quite arduous. You mentioned playing a musical instrument and I remembered my dad was a pretty good piano player years ago. He hasn't played in years, but he might be interested in pic…
In late 2019, two years after I retired, I attended a presentation by a neuroscientist who brought his grand piano. The piano had a sign on it, something like "This machine stops dementia." Since then, music has been my daily avocation.