Independence Day by Steve Michael Lopez

INDEPENDENCE DAY by Steve Michael Lopez is a relatively quick read in which he reviews “What I Learned about Retirement from Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will.” Lopez is an award-winning Los Angeles Times columnist and his aptitude for writing in an engaging matter is readily apparent. Each chapter contain small vignettes (almost dying after knee replacement surgery, surfboarding near Waikiki). These are intertwined with tales of meeting an assortment of others who offer perspective on possibly retiring. For example, he speaks with a Jesuit priest who argues, “You have to do what replenishes you.” Lopez also meets a “genius winemaker” who prompts him to look into the impact of climate change on California’s vineyards. Later, he comments on the research from psychologist Nancy Schlossberg; she told him that retirees “want to matter” and need “to embrace ambiguity.” Lopez’s writing feels like a stream of consciousness at times or even a good friend sitting down to share a story. The closest comparison I can think of is Mary Roach (Stiff, Grunt, Fuzz and more) or maybe Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods, The Road to Little Dribbling) on one of his entertaining rambles. Lopez expertly captures and conveys the bittersweet feelings engendered by retirement, commenting for instance, on becoming less apt to take experiences for granted and reflecting on the privilege of his life’s work: “me, wandering around, finding what looks interesting, assembling a story, and moving on to the next.” INDEPENDENCE DAY would make an excellent choice for a Senior book club although its insightful and amusing accounts could be enjoyed by all adults.