DEBORAH HOLTON
TTN Chicago Chapter Member
Tell us a little about yourself.
I would describe myself as down-to-earth and rigorous with a sweet, light-hearted core. I come from a long line of Southern educators, preachers, artists, and musicians whose influence shines throughout my life in myriad ways. I’m a Chicagoan who grew up in Bronzeville’s Lake Meadows where my church was home to activists and intellectuals who helped shape the Civil Rights Movement. I received my BFA in Theatre and Drama from Howard University; and, my Ph.D. in American Theatre Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. A fiction writer and poet, I also hold a Creative Writing MFA from Solstice, Pine Manor College. While my ancestors and role models live on in me, I continue to evolve to be my next “best me.”
What transition are you currently going through or contemplating?
After over thirty years as an educator and mentor of adult learners at DePaul University, I’m nearing retirement. For the past five years, I’ve been “on the hunt” to find out as much as I can about transition in general and retirement in particular. I’ve been gathering information, talking with people, interviewing leaders, and attending talks, like TTN’s “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old?” by Joy Loverde, to learn as much as I can so that my path to retirement is well-planned and values-centered. I became a certified coach specializing in transition and a member of the national Retirement Coaches Association so that I could share and support other women on their retirement journey.
What advice do you have for TTN members who want to retire or are currently considering retirement?
Planning for retirement is both wise and essential, given life’s complexities. Why not design it so that it is deeply rooted in your values, in what matters most to you? Drawing from a variety of resources, tools, and support options, women who are considering retirement can craft what I call their “next best self” that way. For Eleanor Roosevelt’s wisdom still rings true: “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
What do you love most about Chicago?
Chicagoland, with its majestic lake that looks like the ocean and its converging rivers, is vibrant with culture and diversity. There is much to love here: festivals, marathons, music (oh, the music!). These days though the museums and gardens--from the Art Institute to the Writer’s Museum, from the Morton Arboretum to the Chicago Botanic Garden and all points in between—comfort and nurture me.
What keeps you engaged and vibrant?
I have three grandchildren who never cease to inspire me to try new things. As new beings on the planet, they bring wisdom that teaches me in unexpected ways. When I stretch myself to experience things like star-gazing or foreign television mysteries or treat myself to dance concerts that reinterpret the old while making something new, those creative sparks remind me that we can be forever young, when we choose to be.
What motto do you live by or what quote inspires you?
In every vital activity, it is the path that matters. —Egyptian Proverb