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Diane, 65, retired two years ago after a fascinating career that began as a writer-editor for consumer magazines, included a few years at the UN working for the English word-processing unit, and then the last 17 years as a circulation clerk in a library.

Diane was born in Queens, New York, but now lives in Long Island, where she’s spent most of her life. She says she loves Long Island because it’s close to the city. Plus, it’s full of friendly people, most of whom she met through the library community.

The timing of going into retirement and a global pandemic took a toll on Diane’s mental health. The shift from being quite active and social to being locked down left Diane lonely and without purpose. However, after being part of the GetSetUp community for only four months, Diane has turned her life around,

“I used to feel sad, take lots of naps, but last Tuesday (for example) I took seven classes in one day. I live alone, and this gets me into the world. Attending classes has given me purpose, and there are seemingly limitless choices for me.”  

One of Diane’s favorite classes is Growing Up with The Beatles, it fills her with nostalgia, and she loves sharing her passion for their music with others. The confidence she’s developed since starting classes has been radical. She’s already achieved so much,

“I’m now an interest group leader! My group is called Telling Tales About Retail. People interested in shopping for deals, have worked in retail, or are simply interested in shopping as a pastime are all welcome. I debuted this class at Christmastime and we looked at classic Christmas shop windows. And recently, we covered where to go for the best discounts and deals.” 

GetSetUp means the world to Diane. She plans her life around it. Plus, she’s enjoyed building new friendships, which she hadn’t done in a long time, 

“Just being around people helps me so much. Now I bump into the same faces in classes, and people care. If you miss a class, people notice and check up on you next time. It’s made me feel valued. I don’t get to leave the house very much, and this is the most incredible way of being effortlessly social.” 

After taking some Zoom and other technical classes, Diane’s felt her technical abilities to become a Community Host were strong enough. She proposed her class after just two months of being part of the GetSetUp community. 

“Being comfortable with the programs I’d need to use was essential, and once I knew how to run those things capably, I didn’t have any other barriers to starting a class - except my self-confidence. With some coaching, I did my preparation, and it’s been great fun.”

Finding happiness in a dark time

Throughout the pandemic, the dark days had crept into Diane’s life slowly. Yet, they got more frequent and affected the way she saw herself,

“The way I’m perceived in classes has helped me, I’m so self-conscious about my weight, and that’s another excuse I use not to go out as much anymore.

I attended a journaling class, and we had to write a letter to our bodies as a creative writing exercise. I apologized for treating my body badly, and I regret not making better health choices. Then we had to write about how we felt about our names. That was easy, as I love my name. I realized I wanted to feel the same way about my body as I did about my name. I mentioned this (to the class) as a revelation and something I could work on. My fellow learners were so kind, people were going, ‘but you’re smart and lovely. You should be kinder to yourself,’ and that was great to hear.”

Diane would like to get back to doing more writing. After all, that was her career for many years, and she misses that creative output. She admits it can be hard to find the self-motivation to sit down and commit to it, but she’s found that drive through GetSetUp and is excited to see where that might take her. 

“Getting good feedback from the writing classes has been a game-changer for me. I now better understand the value I have to add to society. I’ve published work in the past and sold stories, and maybe I can go back to doing some of that.”

When asked if she thinks GetSetUp would be suitable for people who are looking to get back to work, she was very clear about the pathway,

“After retirement, it’s difficult to get into a rhythm and get motivated, but the best thing about GetSetUp is that you won’t be bored anymore. There’s just no longer an excuse for that. I turn on the computer and find something to do, and I am developing new skills every day. I set myself the objective, early on in my GetSetUp journey, to speak up at least once per class, and my confidence grew from there.”