With 56 days till my retirement, I’ve decided to celebrate my impending independence (and profitably utilize my interim increased “free” time, now that the school year has ended and I don’t need to prepare for next year’s lessons) by learning--albeit, even some things trivial, about my anticipated new state.

To that end, I brainstormed a list of curiosity questions, and jotted down some things I already know–or think I know–about retirement. (Yes! like a daily retirement K-W-L chart, of sorts, for any retired educators who were thinking that’s what I was doing.)

Here’s something I know. Deriter Club.

(Although the first time I tried wrapping my head around the name “Deriter,” I strained my brain back to when I took a foreign language, and chastised myself for not having paid closer attention, since I couldn’t come up with a translation to what obviously appeared to be a French word. I wondered who belonged and what kind of club it was…)

The mystery was solved when someone told me the secret.

Read backwards.

I did; then I knew. …Now you know the secret, too.

So here’s today’s curiosity question. Besides “Deriter” and “39’ers,” with which I am familiar (and soon will be eligible to join), by what other names do local groups of retirees call themselves, and do any retirees actually boldly, proudly, simply call themselves the “Retiree Club”?

Thanks for sharing your firsthand knowledge! I’m hoping to smile and to rejoice in our Retiree cleverness!