By Dave Schafer

Phil Rising knows what would happen if he spent a day watching TV. He’d probably never get up, except to get food and to go to bed.

Fortunately, inaction doesn’t tempt Rising. He’s always looking for the next challenge, and he has no desire to spend his retirement sitting around.

“I know that keeping physically active is the way to maintain my physical fitness,” said Rising, 65. “I know what the consequences of sitting around would be. I just don’t focus on them. I have a drive to do this stuff.”

“This stuff” is taking long bike trips on old, defunct railroad trails around the county. He videotapes his adventures, edits the raw footage, sets it to music and burns it to a DVD to enjoy later.

Creating DVD videos is something he’s been doing for years, but since he retired in January he has much more time to devote to his hobby.
Many retirees have decided retirement isn’t a time to sit quietly in the recliner. Leaving the daily grind of work doesn’t mean leaving society, it simply means moving on to new challenges.

Staying involved in something is vitally important, said Charlene James, the Harris County Area Agency on Aging bureau chief.

“There’s a real value in getting up in the morning and having a purpose,” she said. “Do a little something every day. That keeps you active and healthy.”

	Phil Rising spends his retirement riding his recumbent tricycle on old, defunct railroads that have been paved with crushed stone/shells by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and other civic groups. Rising brings a camera, camcorder and voice recorder to record his trips, then makes DVD movies with the footage. Photo courtesy Phil Rising.

A reason for being
Having a reason to get up in the morning is never a problem for Rising. He enjoys seeing God’s natural wonder, so he greets each morning enthusiastically.

“I had a set routine all my life up until I retired,” he said. “Now I’m retired and I can do what I want when I want. I can stay up working on a DVD then go to bed whenever I finish, even if it’s two in the morning.”
Rising has actually retired twice: once from the Navy after 20 years and again from the city after 18 years. After his first retirement, he went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in political science and economy.
“Retirement didn’t make me settle down,” said Rising, who worked in human resources for Aviation and Planning and Development. “I just look forward to the next thing.”

When nearing retirement, most workers check with their financial advisor. Not enough think about how to fill the void in their day, James said.

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