Carol Davidson

Do You Have a Post-Retirement Career?
Here’s Carol Davidson’s Experience with Hybrid Retirement

Many retirees leave their primary career and move to a hybrid retirement where they blend their leisure activities with work. This work often includes interests and passions they may not have had time for when they worked full time.

Such is the case with Carol Davidson who retired from Spirit River Regional Academy (Peace Wapiti School Division) in 2011. Since that time, she has developed a hybrid career blending her talents and interests with post-retirement learning and work.

As a teacher, Carol was also an avid learner and it has continued in retirement. She began by taking online training to be a Lifestyle Celebrant, “promoting the use of ceremony to mark milestones and transitions” that include marriages, memorials, family and healing. After completion she became a licenced Alberta Marriage Commissioner. Recently she reached the milestone of assisting 200 couples celebrate their nuptials . While many of her couples opt for the “standard” marriage ceremony, others want to celebrate with a unique ceremony. This is what Carol enjoys the most, meeting with couples to create a personalized ceremony. She takes great joy in the creative process of writing these messages. For example, one included blending the waters from the bride and the groom’s hometowns; there’s been the “loving cup” and even one with different types of coffee. She talks of one ceremony where the couple placed rocks in a circle representing the values on which they are building their marriage. Others focus on the blending and unity of families in a marriage; one such wedding had members contributing their favorite flower to create a family bouquet, a symbol of their joining together.

While Carol has worked with families to prepare memorials for their loved ones, marriages remain her favorite because they are a time of happiness and celebration. She also speaks of the couple who weren“brave enough to take the leap” after they had been together a mere 60 years at the ages of 80 and 87 (also her oldest couple to marry).

Carol loves the water and swimming. She has included this into another aspect of her retirement work. This too brings her a great sense of satisfaction. She took Water Art training and enjoyed working, pre-COVID, with the ladies and gentlemen at the Eastlink Pool instructing seniors’ deep water aquacise. Also before COVID-19, Carol received recognition for five years of service and eagerly awaits the time the pool will re-open for classes. Equally, she looks forward to getting back in the water for her own personal wellbeing. Despite the pool’s closure, she continues to update her certification for water art and first aid, a true lifelong learner.

Yet another joy for Carol is music, both singing and playing the piano. She sings with a community group called The Mudlarks (an Australian bird “known to sing in duet; each partner producing one note per second” to create a song that makes it seem only one bird is singing). While their performances have been limited during COVID, they enjoy songs with a positive message and great harmony. They join voices to entertain in Care Centres, at community events, and at church services and fundraisers. It is a joyful endeavour for these performers that is loved by their audiences.

For Carol, and many NWARTA members, remaining active and vibrant after retiring from a primary career means taking time to pursue a “different” path — including a blend of interests, passions and continued service to others. The greatest advantage is a flexible schedule with time to pursue individual interests.

You may want to see pictures on Facebook of the many weddings Carol has officiated — Carol’s Creative Memories Carol’s Creative Ceremonies. Also, more pictures follow.