The Retirees
Rita Moore
Imagine traveling from your native country to study for four years in Carbondale. Adapting to a new environment, different weather and, most importantly, a second language. Every semester many students take the long journey to Carbondale and life in America. For 25 years the University had Rita Moore to help make our international students' transition successful. Moore worked as a professor, coordinator of special projects, and advisor for the Center for English as a Second Language. Moore retired from the University on Feb. 28, 2001.
"It is important to have enough free time and enough time allotted for set activities," she says. Even though she has yet to find that balance, she insists that she enjoys not having to be at work at 8 a.m. and having to fight for parking at Faner Hall. "I've been retired for a year, and I'm always complaining that I have too much to do, but then if I don't have anything on the agenda, I complain also," she says.
But one thing Moore doesn't complain about is living in Carbondale. "Carbondale is a great place to be retired," says Moore. "Carbondale is packed with many benefits, considering that it is a university town. The rec center is great, and I try to take full advantage of the public library."
Moore has also increased the amount of time that she spends on her hobbies. After playing for three years, Moore decided to join the John A. Logan Community Orchestra as a cello player. The orchestra is made up of 40 people from around the community joining together to make good music. Moore also spends time playing the piano, playing tennis, reading, gardening and gourmet vegetarian cooking. Even with those hobbies occupying much of her free time, Moore always finds time for her favorite hobby. "I've never met a yard or book sale that I haven't liked," says Moore.
She enjoys these sales so much that she is thinking about turning her fascination into an occupation. "I'm thinking of going into business as a yard sale personal shopper, like at Bloomingdale's in New York City, except that I'll shop for you at yard sales, for a small fee, of course. Then I will have a reason for attending all of them," she says.
Even though Moore says she does not miss going to work every morning she still enjoys helping students. Four days a week you can find her at the Eurma C. Hayes Center volunteering for the I Can Read Program.
"This is a program that offers schoolchildren the opportunity to read one-on-one with an adult after school hours," says Moore.
A smile comes to Moore's face when she describes the program. "It's a very valuable program, one that could always use additional volunteers," she says.
Moore also works part time at the Illinois Migrant Council teaching English as a second language. "I've done this job for 20 years, and every day is still a thrill," she says.
The only time that the smile leaves her face is when she says she does not see her grandchildren enough. As a mother, Moore made a constant effort to raise her kids to have broad horizons. When they left home to seek greater opportunities, Moore had to learn to deal with the rigors of flying. With grandchildren in New York, Massachusetts and Arizona, flying is the natural option for visits. It has also led Moore to an increased number of articles being clipped from the newspaper and magazines that she regularly sends to her children. Moore says, "Newspaper clipping is a compulsion inherited from my mother, whose English was limited but who could manage to read well enough to regularly send me articles, mainly on how to get a husband and how to lose weight.
"I've had a husband and lost weight, so maybe the articles hit the mark."
Moore sends articles pertaining to evils of large corporations, ethics, lifestyles, child rearing, etc. Whether they are read is debatable, but Moore says that she sends them anyway.
"Retirement is nice, but you must be able to put structure in your life," Moore says, and she works hard to establish that balance between working at the Illinois Migrant Council and participating in her many hobbies. Since retiring Moore has also found herself falling for actor Gene Hackman. "I watch all of his movies; the best ones were made between 1970 and 1977," she says.
One day Moore may reach that common ground we all strive for; maybe the joy of retirement is in the struggle of trying to establish a balance. But in the meantime, if you need a yard sale personal shopper, Moore is the person you're looking for.
- Khalid Hannah
May 1, 2002
Many people have a difficult time adjusting to life after retirement, but Rita Moore seems to have a great understanding about the art of retirement. Moore says that the most difficult thing is trying to balance the structure needed in a day.
