Turning What You Love into What You Do
By Patrick J. O’Connor
The Boomer life phase provides plenty of time to really do the things we love. It might be a mindset like the Encore Retirement Lifestyle (How to Maintain the Encore Retirement Lifestyle (ERL)). The goal of this lifestyle is to spend as much time as possible in activities that provide a Fluttery Feeling. Some readers will recall from previous segments that Fluttery is the feeling we get when everything seems to go exactly as it should. Time and other “normal” aspects of life are on hold.
It’s good to be a busy Boomer. Boomers have lots of ways to stay busy… probably now more than ever. One way Sue and I stay busy is to search for seashells. Research shows there are many benefits to keeping busy in the Boomer phase. Boomers benefit from more socialization, physical activity, learning, contributing and in some cases, even having an outlet (The Essential Outlet). Some activities include all these benefits… and maybe a few more. I call one of them the shell grunt hunt.
Shell Grunt Hunt
I like to comb the beach of a South Carolina sound looking for shells, a.k.a. the “shell grunt hunt;” no license required. It’s a leisurely stroll with a soft breeze, glistening sunlight and waves lapping over each other. It’s usually quiet at the sound with a few dolphins swimming along. Sometimes they are within 30-40 feet, and you can hear them gliding through the water and breathing as they come up for air. About three or four times a week, I go hunting for a few kinds of shells.
One kind of shell (scallop) is plentiful, and I give most of them to my wife Sue as raw material for her shell art bowls. I also gather up a variety of different shells for her shell heart designs. My favorite shell is less common and more challenging to hunt. Baby Ears are the best catch.
Baby Ears
Baby Ears are common along the Atlantic coast but it’s amazing how few people have ever seen them. They are part of the Moon Shell family and are a little tricky to find. They have two different sides, and you need to know what each side looks like. One side is super smooth with thin, shallow shell lines that are almost invisible. This side is hard to see. The other side looks like a baby earlobe which is easy to spot, as long as you are looking for lobes in all the right places.
Both sides of a lovely Baby Ear
Usually, I find five or so on each hunt. They come in a few sizes, but most are about the size and shape of olives: small, medium or large. Their most common colors are beige and beautiful pearly white. Shells often get chipped and banged up on the ride to the shore. But Baby Ears always seem to be completely intact … in pristine condition.
In addition to the Baby Ears I give Sue, I love to give them as gifts. I even carry around a few in my pocket to have on hand. I give them to friends, family members, kids at church, tourists, children on the beach, random strangers, nurses and doctors. It’s unlikely they would have found any of their own. For families at the beach, they will have a small special memory of their outing. When I share them, I explain a little about Baby Ear shells and say they last forever; are always in style.
The kids all tell me they will put their Baby Ear shell on the nightstand next to their bed. Kinda cool knowing kids are doing that… feels kinda Fluttery.
Shell Art: Hearts and Bowls
I also hunt for other shells for Sue to use in her shell art projects. These are more plentiful than Baby Ears and easier to find. In addition to enjoying a peaceful stroll along the beach with Gidget (her pup), she started creating art with the shells we gather. She creates heart designs from shells and frames them: heart shell art.
Sue’s Heart Shell Art
She also uses shells to create intricate bowls which can hold a candle or other items. All her shell art is handmade, original and crafted with lots of time, care and attention. As such, they make wonderful gifts.
Turning What You Love into What You Do
Boomer time is a fabulous time to really turn what we love into what we do. One of the things that makes it so great is the surprising things that find us. I sure never thought I’d become a shell grunt, let alone enjoy it… but I really do…Fluttery for sure. I also hope everyone who receives shell art or a Baby Ear gift feels a bit Fluttery, too.
Gidget
Photos by Patrick O’Connor
