I have just completed reading a book entitled “Strangers No
More: Memoirs by Lucy S. Herring” (Carlton Press, 1983). I’m not sure how the book found its way into
my library—perhaps it was a book my daughter contributed when we moved into our
shared Florida home recently. The book was signed by the author: “Think big!
Your thoughts will determine your destiny, Lucy Herring, February, 1983.”
Lucy Herring was an African-American educator who had an
interesting life and who made a significant impact on the education of the
African-American community. While I expect that few will be aware of her and
her legacy, I found a couple of especially significant connections with my own
pilgrimage. The first connection was
that she served early in her career as an educational coordinator in Harnett County,
North Carolina. While her service was many years prior to my teaching years at
Campbell University (in fact, I had been at Campbell for three years and had
been in Nashville five years by 1983 when this book was published), Campbell is
in Harnett County and is only a few miles from Lillington, where Ms. Herring
worked. Her work was foundational in opening doors of opportunity for
African-American students; and I had some very fine students at Campbell, who
were evidence that doors of opportunity have been opened by people like Lucy
Herring.
The most significant connection, however, was a
stage-of-life connection that Ms. Herring faced at the time of her retirement.
While I cannot apply her statement about retirement totally to my own
experience (see page 166 for Lucy Herring’s list), she did inspire me with some
perspectives that are helpful to those who are retiring or have retired. Here
are my adaptions of Lucy Herring’s experience that retirees have to deal with
in the significant transition from employment to retirement.
1.
Serving in a new role of second parent—that of a
grandparent.
2.
Living in new accommodations.
3.
Living in a culturally mixed community.
4.
Being far removed from the kind of church of which
you have been a member.
5.
Having to find new service providers to assist
you.
6.
Having to make new friends (especially when your
recall is declining).
7.
Living in a new city with a vastly different
climate from the one to which you have been acclimated.
Lucy Herring captured a lot of the challenges that I have
been facing in the last six months. Her spirit in addressing these issues have
inspired me and challenged me to view these days as a new venture that requires
readjustments, patience, supportive family and friends, and trust in God that
all is working together for good.
