During our working lives, much of our time is dedicated to our careers and family, with personal interests often taking a back seat. Leaving us feeling like we rarely have time to do anything for ourselves.
After a lifetime spent working in the statutory and voluntary sectors and squeezing her love of literature into the last minutes of the day, Rifat Wahhab, 69, became a student at City Lit, London’s largest adult education college, choosing to go back into education during her retirement.
An opportunity to make the most of retirement
Rifat says: “I’ve always wanted my brain to be stimulated. I’m not happy just meeting people for lunch or going to dinner parties, the cinema and similar activities; I know it gives others contentment, but it’s just not enough for me. That’s not my idea of happiness. Happiness for me comes from learning something amazing.
“When I retired, I wanted to do the things I couldn’t do while working. One of those things was studying literature.”
Deepening a lifelong love of literature
Rifat explains: “I’ve read literature all my life, but I always had to fit it in at the end of the day, after work, family and everything else. When those responsibilities ended, it allowed me to come to a place like City Lit and read the things that I’ve always wanted to read. I could do it in the daytime when my brain and body were fresh and alert and I am less tired, meaning I could absorb so much more.
“Studying has allowed me to explore literature in depth and introduced me to new writers I’ll be reading for the rest of my life. I’d never really read poetry before, but now I can approach it with a deeper understanding.”
Rifat concludes: “My classes have helped me reclaim my time. It feels like a fantastic luxury to walk into a classroom at City Lit, to sit down for two hours and listen to a great lecture.”
“We should use our retirement time well and not waste it; this is the time to blossom and be happy. I’m going to be 70 this year, so my classes are my time to do the things I’ve always wanted to do, without pushing them back any longer.”
