2026-02 From the President: Fun … joy … JOIE

A colleague once told me, “You’ll know it’s time to retire when your work isn’t fun anymore.” He was right. I did know, and I’ll bet you did, too.

So, what is “fun”? Is it something that puts a smile on your face? Is it engaging with others in something meaningful? Is it something that gives you a sense of satisfaction, or a feeling of joy? Is fun different in retirement? Where do you find it? And what role does UMRA play for you in experiencing fun and joy? 

As I read the UMRA eNews or newsletter, or peruse the UMRA website, I’m always stunned by how many potential fun and enjoyable opportunities are described and promoted. Opportunities to enjoy the company of others, to engage in service and learning, to be creative, or to just plain have fun. 

Of course, having fun is perspective. One person’s fun may be another’s worst nightmare. For some of us, participating in a meeting is exhausting. For others, a meeting is motivating and satisfying, a rush of adrenaline even. 

I’ve often heard the “worst nightmare” comment about what I did working at the University, in fundraising and development. But honestly, for me fundraising and development were about relationships and people; it was satisfying and fun. So, where do we find opportunities for fun and joy? 

I recently had the opportunity to chat with the current editor of JOIE, the UMRA-sponsored Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays, an open-access publication established by UMRA in 2013. I asked about the name and origin story. She responded, “Honestly, I’ve thought the creator had wanted an acronym that worked for the word ‘joy,’ and thus, the name Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays.” I came away from our chat feeling inspired, motivated, and joyful. 

Writing in an article published in the January 2014 UMRA Newsletter under the headline “There’s a place for us—to publish, to share, to enjoy” (see page 4), Martin Dworkin, the inaugural editor of JOIE, described the journal as a place for “a wide variety of articles, intended to inform and entertain its broad audience.”

So, here is an opportunity for some fun and joy: submit a story, a poem, a drawing, a photo to JOIE. The possibilities are endless. Does the word “journal” scare you off? Maybe we should think of JOIE as “joyful opportunities, ideas and essays”? 

I encourage you to consider submitting something to JOIE—for the fun of it! Maybe even take on the editor-in-chief role. It’s available. Let me know. 

—Diane Young, UMRA president