For many individuals, retirement is a time to unwind and smell the roses, and for some, it means taking a permanent break from work and its associated stresses.
But for 74-year-old Fred Garcarczyk, retirement took an unexpected turn when his daughter applied for a job as a tour guide on his behalf.
“I really didn’t have retirement plans and still don’t,” Garcarczyk told The Epoch Times.
“I just love what I do, so will probably stay a tour guide until my legs or my tongue fall off.”
The Importance of Having a Purpose
Before becoming a tour guide, Garcarczyk said he was a singer and a master of ceremonies, later retiring in 2013.
Upon retirement, he had no projects, and his daughter Jade noticed he was losing motivation.
“My daughter, Jade, realised that I was bored, and she applied for the role [of tour guide] with a local company, on my behalf without even telling me, until they indicated that they wanted to interview me,” he said.
The interview went well and to Garcarczyk and his daughter’s surprise, he was offered the job.
He said the role gave him a renewed sense of purpose and had its benefits—such as enjoying Australian nature, meeting international visitors from all walks of life, and hearing interesting stories and making new friends.
“Being a tour guide renewed my youth in so many ways,” he said. “There are things I love about every tour I do.”
According to a number of studies, having a sense of purpose and direction improves overall health, reduces stress, and lowers the risk of dementia.
Fostering Memorable Connections
Among the many interactions Garcarczyk has had, one struck a chord with him.
Around six years ago, he was leading a group of North Americans to a beach in Brighton, known for its colourful bathing boxes. Among the visitors was Peter, an 18-year-old Canadian.
Peter’s mum was an artist and had passed away 15 months earlier, and she left her last seascape hanging in the lounge room.
That day, Garcarczyk waited in the van, while his guests walked toward the sea.
Shortly after, Peter returned in tears. “[Peter] was pretty much inconsolable and unable to speak as I tried to comfort him and find out what happened,” Garcarczyk said.
The young man told Garcarczyk that he talked to his deceased mother every day.
“Peter would ask her if that scene was something she created in her mind, or whether it actually existed,” Garcarczyk said.
That day, in Brighton, he discovered that his mother’s painting portrayed a real place, the very place they were standing, and he told Garcarczyk that he would see the exact scene in his lounge room.
When Garcarczyk shared Peter’s story with the rest of the group, “everyone was in tears all the way back to the city,” he said.
Rubbing Shoulders With Some High Flyers
Other encounters that enrich his experiences are with those who would be considered “high-flyers.”
In 2022, Garcarczyk met a young female tennis player and her family from Europe.
The athlete, then 16, was in Melbourne with her parents—with her dad as her coach—to qualify for the Australian Open.
This was the beginning of a “close relationship with the family, who is here every year for the Australian Open,” Garcarczyk said.
He took them on a tour and learned that the young woman had won both the Australian Junior Open Title and the French Junior Open Title, and was the number one junior player in the world at one stage.
When the family left that year, Garcarczyk created a tribute video, with photos of the tennis player taken from her Instagram account.
The young woman’s father loved it so much that he invited Garcarczyk to sit with their team at the Australian Open the following year. That year also saw the tennis player and her crew attend a family dinner at Garcarczyk’s sister’s place.
On the day of the game, however, a friend asked Garcarczyk for a favour to show an American couple around Melbourne. He was disappointed because if he took on this request, he would miss the tennis player’s game.
Despite feeling conflicted, professionalism and kindness prevailed, and Garcarczyk decided to take the American couple around the city.
When he asked them if there was anything in particular that they wanted to see, the American couple said Rod Laver Arena.
“And as we’re walking toward the tennis, three women were walking towards us. One of them comes over and asks: ‘Are you guys going to the tennis? Do you have tickets yet? We’ve been called into work, take our tickets,’” Garcarczyk said.
Garcarczyk thought he was going to be “paid to do what I was going to do anyway,” and despite feeling some guilt, he accepted the kind gesture.
He did not miss the game and felt the timing of this incident was serendipitous.
According to Psychology Today, a positive mindset can lower stress, improve resilience and, in retirement, enhance cognitive, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
Additionally, a study by Harvard University found that close relationships and how happy we are in them have a “powerful influence” on our health, and is the “key” to healthy ageing.
A Positive Mindset
The key factors to Garcarczyk’s successful social interactions and career are his positive mindset, kind heart and authenticity.
His connections with his clients often turn into lifelong relationships.
“I have even met some on repeat visits and many of them follow me on social media,” Garcarczyk said.
Despite loving his job, he understands that tour guiding may not be every retiree’s cup of tea.
“Not too many people actually consider tour guiding as a career,” he said. “They have never considered it or are unaware of the many benefits or feel they need to know everything about everything to be successful.”
At the same time, Garcarczyk has some words of advice for everyone who is doing something they’re passionate about, and invites them to keep going.
“It will keep you younger, healthier and give you reasons to get up each morning,” he said.
