After retiring in 2007 following 34 years of service with CPS as
a speech/language pathologist, Carolyn Scribner didn’t just
redefine retirement, she renamed it: re-wirement.

When thinking about what to do with her newfound free time,
Carolyn decided there could be nothing better than simply
reconnecting with the people, places, and things she loves.
During her first year of re-wirement she was able to travel
frequently to Little Rock to take care of her aging parents,
which was perfectly, preciously timed as she was able to spend a
significant amount of time with her mother before she passed in
2009.

Ever the educator, Carolyn has always taught in her church, and
re-wirement has provided more time to dedicate to those
teachings, as well as taking Bible classes for her own
fulfillment.

No re-wirement would be complete without some travels done just
for fun, and Carolyn has taken on Florida, Maryland, Virginia,
Nevada, Canada, Cancun, and St. Thomas by car, plane, and/or
ship, and in these adventures discovered activities that aren’t
just for the young, but also the young at heart, and she decided
to try jet skiing, parasailing, and zip lining.

As any CPS employee—current or
past—knows, schools are where lifelong bonds can easily be
formed, so Carolyn has a standing monthly date with some of her
former coworkers where they get together to catch up, reminisce
about their years working together, and inspire each other with
their own personal re-wirement activities and achievements. 

Carolyn is also relishing the time she has to reconnect with some
of her longest-standing friends who are also embracing the
re-wirement way of life. They regularly meet for outings like
line dancing, barbecues, concerts, plays, and card games,
supporting each other through every gift and trial life throws
their way.

Feeling newly energized and enjoying every minute of it,
Carolyn’s wish for everyone’s retirement is that they can turn it
into a re-wirement and find a way to connect with what matters
most to them.