“I’m so busy,”my newly retired friend said the other day,”I can’t believe it when the day is over. The funny thing is,”he shakes his head with a smile,”I felt like I never stopped but I have no idea what I did all day.” We both laughed because time takes on a different meaning once you walk away from your career or final, full-time job. Time doesn’t stop but it’s more than fair to say it morphs into something different, still important, still precious, and yet downgraded somewhat.
I really have never liked clocks or schedules. It’s just me. To me, they are tools and guidelines not iron clad rules. So, when I retired, some of my perspectives did not change that much. I still work part time (about fifteen hours a week) and my boss if often standing there at the door, looking at his watch when I saunter in. He’s a good friend of mine so we both know how the game is played and he knows how I roll. “You were scheduled at 10,”he will offer up. I look at my own watch,”Ten-ten. Right on time.” Since I used to play the same role, I knew the days that my prompt arrival was important. Most days it’s not, so my schedule is one of “ishes” – as in “tenish or “noonish”. I’ll be there. Just don’t set your clock by my arrival.
What seems to disappear when you retire is that sense of urgency: the schedules, agendas and deadlines that used to drive you all day, hanging over you like a nine pound hammer. They magically fade away when you get your proverbial gold watch and ride into the sunset. I still find myself putting together a to-do list but very rarely is there a corresponding due date with any of the items. My wife does the finances so I don’t even know when the bills are due! I get up in the morning, pour a cup of coffee, and walk out on the back patio to ponder and plan the day. Most of these mornings, the day that lies before me are comprised of agenda items that are “would like to get done”, “really should get done”, and “if I get to it.”
Sometimes, I do miss the adrenaline rush or working under the pressure of a deadline but it is very, very rare. A workaholic most of my life, shifting into a slower, less demanding pace has been a welcome change – one I did not feel that I would be able to make so easily. Things still get done
- just not as fast. There is a mental awareness when you “attack” your day that, if something doesn’t get done right then, there is plenty of time the next day. The only times that are really important are breakfast time, dinner time, and nap time. After those things, everything else is negotiable.
I advise everyone, though, that, if your are pondering retirement, have something that does motivate you , something that does drive you. For me, that is writing. It is not only a hobby but the home of dreams and aspirations. It is the meaningful thing I dedicate time to – noting, however, that I can fall into the trap of letting my daily writing time slide into the next day and then the next. So, as I satirically related in yesterday’s Morning Musings, I am going to apply that old sense of urgency to my writing. That means, rolling out of bed, grabbing the coffee and the laptop and letting it fly. That’s what Morning Musings was meant to be, just the first thoughts on my mind on a daily basis. Now, when I start thinking about the books I want to write, that is probably going to mean packing a lunch and leaving the house – just to put myself in a “work” mode.
Well, today there is a little more of a schedule. There are church services and commitments through the morning, bowling in the afternoon, and a Mindi Abair concert tonight. However, the schedule isn’t too tight. There is time in there for a nap!
Have a good day, my friends!
A man after my own heart ... spot on, Kevin.
I resemble your post!