Over the past half year, many of my fans and friends have wondered, “Where did Pat Brown go?” Back in November, I left HLN, simply walked away from my nightly appearances on Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell and Dr. Drew. Then, I pretty much stopped writing on my blog, The Daily Profiler, and, in the last month, heaven forbid, I have been rather patchy with my postings on Facebook and Twitter.
So where did I go and why? I went “into the forest,” friends, into what is called Vanaprastha in Hinduism (and, yes, I am a Hindu which probably none of you had a clue), the third stage of life; effectively, retirement. Shocked? Curious? Why now? Why at so “young” an age?
Okay, 57 isn’t really too young to retire, but, these days, many of us believe that we are to chase fame, fortune, and folly until we drop over dead. I, myself, had planned to keep on keeping on – not for fame or fortune (in spite of what you all think, I am only moderate in the fame game and at the very bottom of the fortune game) but for the folly of trying to change the methodology of criminal profiling within police departments, a very difficult task indeed. I believe I have had some influence on the field and hope to have made an impact (even if it is more evident after I am dead and gone), but after twenty years of great effort and energy, I feel it is time to hang up my gloves.
I don’t mean I shall never do any television work again or ever promote profiling, I will, but only in a very curtailed manner and totally on my terms as a teacher or mentor. What I mean is that I am done with the pressure, the lost sleep, the racing around, the rarely having a day off what with breaking news and travel and deadlines. I am ready to enter Vanaprastha, the third stage or Ashrama of life, also known as retirement. This is a time to end the striving for career advancement and the effort to attain more and more things; to renounce, reduce, and retreat. To relax and spend time as an elder, not a driven twenty- , thirty- , forty- or fifty-year old. The kids are grown, the grandkids are coming, the parents are going, and the siblings and friends have gone or are leaving for the forest, too. With my parents both being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last November, I found myself realizing that I was needed at home again (the first time since my children have grown up) and that I could not serve two masters. I stayed home to raise my children and I will stay home to tend to my parents. So, I will go into the forest (the move from one’s householder/career life to a more austere and spiritual life) and embrace a new way of living.
This is my new blog and I hope those of you who are in the forest already and those who are heading off into it will share the journey with me.
Resting in the Guatemalan Jungle with my Guide
our lives in the forest 
Anyone here just “entering the forest?”
Been here for years. Welcome home.
::laughs::Thanks for the welcome, Anita!
Hi Pat, Thank YOU for this new blog! I read this and tears filled my eyes, not sadness but I feel like I found an answer for the ‘journey’ I am trying to find. I left my career the same way you did because of travel…I just walked away because I could not ‘fly’ 95% any longer. Yes 95% that was a job requirement..insane :-). I wanted to ask you several times on facebook about your ‘water fast’ but did not want to sound nosy. I am searching and I think you will understand that. Stuff, things, constant new coverage of the horrible things we humans do to each other and the answer is there I know I just have to be still and find the walk to take with a lighter load. I am reading & searching and I will follow your journey and maybe find the curve in the road for my direction. Thank you so much for sharing. Ellen
Hello, Ellen!
I am so happy you are here and I look forward to you sharing on our journey. In the US and many other countries in this day and age, retirement is considered either a loss of identity or a loss of usefulness or both. I think we need a better way of living this stage of life and also for others to appreciate those in this stage of life.
Oh, that travel! Ugh….I LOVE traveling when I have a wonderful trip planned (my last trip to Guatemala or my trip a year ago to Portugal), but those business trips with the hubs and horrible seats on the planes and the delays…..it ain’t fun and neither is staying at hotel after hotel (I tried always to stay at the smallest B&B I could find to kill the monotony and meet nice people).
I am looking forward to seeing the world in a more positive way, not spending so much time focused on psychopathy and horrible crimes; I want a long break! ::laughs::So this blog is going to be my happy place and I hope all that come here will find positive thoughts and ideas to help them in the forest they are traversing.
Pat
Profound. On target. Full of Grace. I have spent 18 years caring for parents, Daddy now 81. You will never regret a moment. Someone once asked me why and how I did this for them. I explained I turned around and there was no line, nobody lining up to care for my elders, it was me. I have always considered this the most spiritual time of my life, more than raising my child, why? My parents were getting closer to Heaven and I was a witness to the divine. May all you need be there. Bless you for walking boldly into the Forest.
What a beautiful comment! It is sad that many think that doing one’s duty with love is considered nothing but penance, essentially a life devoid of worth. I see this with caring for children as well as parents. There seems to be an all consuming desire in our society to have “fun” and be entertained, to be free of responsibility….as if this would lead to happiness. The same is true for the retirement years, the concept that we should now play, play, play as if that is what is going to make our older years meaningful.
I reflect on my own father who died on May 1 from Alzheimers, and I have a sense of him handing over his gloves to rather unwilling hands-mine. He had great faith and a healthy dose of humility. You have made quite an impact on many people and things, including criminal profiling and it seems to be the perfect time for you to hand over your own gloves. You have chosen a more satisfying trip than the (often fickle),fame and fortune variety. Harry Chapin said something about if a man tried to take his time on earth, and prove before he died, what one man’s life could be worth, he wondered what would happen to this world. Enjoy this next stage of your journey.,
Thanks so much, Ann. I expect I will have a lot to learn and experience in this stage of life, as I have in the previous stages. My believe we should have faith that each stage teaches us what we need to learn if only we allow ourselves to be open to the teaching.
Not read it yet but it looks great. Here in UK, I cannot retire until 66 would you believe, but am living fine off an inheritance at the moment. Best of luck and will read your blog when got time.
Fiona, I have no funds to retire; I won’t collect social security for another five years and I have no pension or savings. I am just reducing all my needs to a very low level (will write on that in another post). When I say retire, I am moving from actively pursuing career goals and working round the clock to a retiring of that lifestyle. I am leaving full-time work in my field and leaving the constant pressure to younger folks.
you know I find you adorable Pat..enjoy the new stage
Haha! I will and I will have more time to watch MMA!