In this week’s Five Minute Friday, host Bobby P reflects on one of the most significant emotional shifts in retirement: the loss — and rediscovery — of community. When we step away from full-time work, we don’t just give up tasks, meetings, and responsibilities; we lose the daily contact, camaraderie, and shared sense of purpose that quietly shaped our lives for decades.
Through his experiences in Mammoth’s Host Department and simple moments back home in Del Mar, Bob explores how community shows up in unexpected ways — and how essential it is for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in retirement.
Key Takeaways
- Retirement ≠ Isolation: Stepping away from work often means stepping away from built-in social structure.
- Busy Isn’t Connected: Travel and projects fill time, but they don’t necessarily fill the connection gap.
- Community is Everywhere: Whether it’s a mountain crew swapping stories or neighbors chatting on a beach walk, community shows up in big and small ways.
- Purpose Doesn’t Retire: Staying engaged with others fuels curiosity, fulfillment, and emotional health.
Weekend Challenge
This weekend, try one of the following:
- Reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with.
- Say yes to an invitation you might normally skip.
- Join a group, club, or volunteer shift.
- Take a walk and strike up a conversation with a neighbor.
Small actions build strong communities — one conversation at a time.
Closing Thought
Stay connected.
Stay curious.
And keep building the community that makes retirement not just a phase… but a deeply meaningful journey.
Because in retirement — Soul Meets Body.
Join us as we post new episodes weekly!
Connect with Bob: BobbyP@theretiredmindset.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TheRetiredMindset.com.
Episode Transcript
The Retired Mindset, Five Minute Friday.
Short episodes in five minutesor less.
Hey Mindsetters, Bobby P here,TGIF, and welcome to another
Five Minute Friday of theRetired Mindset.
FMF is your quick burst ofreflection and inspiration to
launch the weekend.
(00:26):
And I'm happy to bring today areally fun topic.
I'm back on campus at UCLAtoday, and this week I've been
thinking a lot about somethingthat's really hit home for me
since retiring, and that'sfriendship and community.
When you leave the workingworld, you see, you don't just
walk away from a job.
You walk away from people, fromthat daily routine and rhythm
(00:52):
of conversations, hanging outwith people at the water cooler,
over coffee, meetings,laughter, and a shared sense of
purpose.
And honestly, I didn't realizehow much I'd missed that when I
first retired until it was gone.
At first I thought, you know,I'll keep busy, projects,
travel, plenty of things to doin retirement, right?
(01:14):
And I did all that, and I stilldo to this day.
But here's the truth.
Being busy isn't the same asbeing connected to other people.
It just isn't.
That lesson really hit me onemorning up here in Mammoth or in
my other home in Mammoth.
I was working with our hostdepartment, Blue Skies, crisp
snow, guests arriving with hugesmiles.
(01:36):
And after a long morning on themountain, our crew was swapping
stories, joking around, givinghigh fives.
The sense of camaraderie, ofbeing part of a team again and
making new friends, it justreminded me what the real
community feels like.
And it was fantastic.
By the way, I've got this newswag from a host friend of mine
(01:56):
who just had an event lastnight.
It's an ice Ectaryx jacket,right?
And it's not just a mammoth.
When I'm back home in Del Maror here on campus at UCLA,
walking the beach, chatting withparent friends, neighbors,
grabbing coffee with old friendshere that I reconnect who live
in the area, that same feelingshows up in quieter ways.
Sometimes it's not about a biggroup or club.
(02:18):
It's about that connection, youknow, that quality of
friendship, about showing up andbeing present in the moment.
You see, community gives lifeits texture.
It keeps you grounded, it keepsyou curious.
And maybe most importantly, itreminds you that purpose doesn't
retire just because you did.
So here's my challenge to youthis weekend: reach out.
(02:39):
Contact somebody.
Let them know you're thinkingabout them.
You know, that you want to befriends, that you want to
reconnect, say yes, joinsomething, volunteer, or simply
call that friend you've beenmeaning to reconnect with for
many, many years.
Because retirement isn't theend of your story.
It's just a new chapter.
And like any great story, it'smeant to be shared.
(03:01):
I just reconnected with a friendfrom college like over 40, 50
years ago, and it was so fun tocatch up because things had
changed in our lives.
She was a different person.
I was a different person.
So listen, have an amazingweekend, mindsetters.
Stay connected, stay curious,and as always, keep building
your community one conversationat a time.
Because in retirement, soulmakes body.
(03:24):
Hey, thanks for joining ustoday.
Happy Friday.
Have a great weekend.
I hope it clears up here inSouthern California.
We'll see you back here next Friday!
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