EVERY month, founder of Elements Retirement Chiou See Anderson speaks with residents of her now sold-out village to explore the facets of Ikigai, a lifestyle that helps balance the physical with the spiritual. Today, she speaks with Judy and Ted about being with nature.
How old are you (if you don’t mind sharing) and how old do you feel?
Judy – I am 72. Ageing has never bothered me as I always felt the same inside regardless of the years. I feel I am a bit of a dinosaur these days though as I am so out of kilter with modern values and beliefs so I would have to say I feel 72 and quite happy to be so.
Ted – I’m 83 in actual years but mentally feel in my thirties and put this down to a life long connection with the natural world.
You (both) seem to be very connected with nature. How did that develop?
We both have been connected to nature from our childhoods, through our professional careers together and this interest continues into our retirement.
Judy – When I was a child my family lived next to Anzac Park and Mt Coot-tha and the bush was our playground. We were free to roam all over that mountain and as I grew up the need to enjoy that beauty, the peace and solitude never left me. Joy in the natural world became an essential part of my being. Being connected to Ted from 1964 has continued and deepened my association with the natural world.
Ted – I was born in Mackay in 1938. When I think back to my early years in tropical north Queensland nature was all around us and as children we spent a lot of time interacting with it: frog spotting and tadpole rearing in the rainy season; rearing caterpillars and examining the variety insects coming into our house lights at night.
In 1962 I became the Curator of Insects at the Queensland Museum after graduating as a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Queensland. Judy joined me as my Technical Assistant on 14 February 1964 (Decimal currency day and Valentines Day). She aided me in managing the large insect research collection, assisted my research and accompanied me on field trips throughout Queensland. It was like being paid to do our hobbies.
In retirement we continue our research into the natural world and as our knowledge grows so does our enjoyment.
Do you feel your passion for nature has attributed to your well-being and if so, how?
Judy – Enormously so. Being in the bush or by the sea is like coming home to a place I love. I get an overwhelming sense of peace and worries fade into the background. It is a blessing to have this in my life and to paraphrase a line from the 23 Psalm – it restores my soul.
Ted – Most definitely. Being able to walk in a forest and understand what we see is a wonderful feeling. We can’t imagine life without this knowledge and the feeling of peace in the bush is a great blessing.
What makes you happy and what gives you purpose?
Judy – When I was younger, caring for my family gave me both but now I guess it’s indulging our many interests- reading, photography, botany, geology. When these overlap and we can look into the details of a landscape or forest, it is fascinating and we derive a great amount of pleasure out of this. I think the desire to keep learning and understanding this beautiful world gives us purpose these days and makes us happy.
Ted – Judy explains it concisely. The continuing search for understanding is what keeps our minds alive and our relationship close.
What would you say to your 18yr old self?
Judy – I would tell myself to put a much higher value on myself, my affection and my time and not to be so eager to please everyone else. Also, to understand that you cannot control everything that happens in life and to ease up on the worry and anxiety.
Ted – I have been a lateral thinker and dreamer since my childhood and at times my heart ruled my head. I would tell my 18 year old self to listen to my head more often and to set more achievable goals in life. However, my decision to study science rather than law or business was of the heart and I would not dissuade my young self from this decision. The employment opportunities were slim and the pay grades don’t reach the heights of other professions, but this is more than compensated by the great pleasure it has brought throughout my life.
