Domestic Engineering

One of the hardest things for me in the transition from professional life to that of a retiree is that I am really rather unqualified and unaccomplished for my present status. 

After thirty years in an occupation that I had trained hard for,  I brought a wealth of experience to my position and had matured into something of an old hand to whom others looked for guidance.

My new role is harder. Obviously I can undertake domestic chores and whilst the outcome is generally satisfactory, I would struggle to declare  my cooking, needlework or DIY skills as perfect.

Similarly I am hardly an expert at any of the hobbies that I am working on and am heavily reliant on the expertise of others. I am conscious that I need practice, but at this stage of life it is hard to accept that I have moved from doing a job well to a situation where I am little better than a novice. Indeed it reminds me of a time a few years ago when, although a competent downhill skier, I tried cross-country skis for the first time and spent the afternoon on my bottom, albeit in fits of giggles. That's how retirement presently feels; it's great fun, but I'm not very good at it.

Mister E on the other hand has probably come to retirement better trained than most in the art of domesticity. He is a chemical engineer and it seems that even basic cookery excels with a knowledge of chemistry, whilst and in addition he understands how the plumbing, electrics, ironing board erection and even a simple cat flap work.

Totally shamed, I'm now wondering if I too need an engineering qualification.