“Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.”
The day is again beautiful, cool and sunny with a lovely breeze. I’ve made my bed, finished the papers and taken my outside shower. I’ll be inside until I finish Coffee then it’s back to the deck with my book. I spend hours each day on that deck. I read, eat lunch, dream and ponder.
I have seen wonders and traveled the world. Every working day I went to a job I loved. I realize I have been lucky in life and lately, with all that pondering, I’ve recognized my life has come nearly a full circle. I’m not talking my imminent demise, but rather a return to simpler days when life was about adventure and surprises and the joys of every day. It’s like I’m a kid again and every day is mine.
It was easy back then to take delight in the small pieces of life. Walking the beach and finding a perfect shell was cause to run back to my mother holding my prize and yelling for her to see what I’d found. It was a forever treasure. I never rode down the hill on my bike. I flew with the wind on my face and my feet off the pedals. Books took me away, and I was absorbed for hours in adventures on rocket ships and deserted islands and with characters I still remember with a vividness that keeps them alive. I had no money, but I really didn’t need money. My mother gave me a nickel or a dime for ice cream when Johnny rang his bell, and I could go to the Saturday matinee and buy a candy bar. A hot dog was a sumptuous feast. Cold, juicy watermelon on a hot afternoon was a gift from God. I didn’t care about fashion. Comfort was more important. Sleeping outside under the stars on a warm summer night was filled with wonder. Life was breathtaking every single day.
My life is again filled with simple joys. I watch the birds and listen to their songs. Some days I never get dressed and sit around in my cozies and read. I don’t spend much money on myself and most weeks I travel only thirty or so miles in my car. My friends invite me for burgers, Tony burgers, and we play board games. We love movie nights on the deck. Gracie and I take rides, and I swivel my head from side to side so as not to miss a single thing. Gracie just hangs her head out the window. I never mind watermelon juice on my hands, and I like to spit the seeds. I’m back to thinking a hot dog cooked on the grill is sumptuous. My life is once again breathtaking every single day.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: life, simple pleasures, treasures
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
August 3, 2010 at 11:00 am
I´m not there yet, but longing for it 🙂 It´s only twenty more years until I can retire 🙂 🙂
I´ve just come back from a walk with my dogs. We went into the forest and I had my mosquitoe hat with me. But the strangest thing happened. Only two flies came to annoy me?? I talked to my neighbour and we both hope that they all have died now. They all came at the same day, perhaps they all die at the same time too? I might just have been lucky, but I really hope they´ve all died 🙂 🙂 🙂
But there were lots of butterflies and dragonflies instead. But most of them refused to sit still so I could take photo´s of them 🙂
Have a great day now!
The bread is good, but doesn´t taste as I thought it would.
Christer.
August 3, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Christer,
I didn’t think about retirement until I was about three years away then it hit me.
I also hope those pesky flies are gone. I know they made your walks uncomfortable and annoying.
Dragonflies are most uncooperative!
August 3, 2010 at 1:11 pm
The whirlwind that is The Prince descended on the house last night. In the mode of constant acceleration buffered only by the furniture he wrought havoc until 8.00 when his departure coincided with the grand finale of The Bachelorette.
An exhausted Maggie emerged from her hiding place to join us to watch the lovely Ali select the even more lovely Roberto.
Sometime after 11.00 Maggie and I went in to the garden to cover final performance issues and it did give me the chance to look at the stars and be grateful for our 4 year old Grandson – Its wonderful to be his Pumpa.
August 3, 2010 at 5:32 pm
My Dear Hedley,
My sister’s grandson just turned four, and I know she loves his visits. He lives close so he visits often, and she watches him a few days during the week while his parents work. I get a blow by blow description of his antics and she is thrilled to be Grandma!
Maggie is quite smart to hide from the whirlwind!
August 3, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Kat,
Word Press is censoring our comments. Mine didn’t get posted yesterday, I’ll try again today but I also not only two made it through and there are usually more. Great post today. Love that you love retirement. Thanks to the crappy stock market under the Wall Street Banksters my nest egg is gone. So I shall never have to pleasure of not working.
August 3, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Z&Me,
I know Comcast dumps some comments into junk, but I always check there. It puzzles me why some comments from the same person are accepted while others are junked.
I also check WordPress spam, but it is rare to find a real comment there so I am also puzzled as to where your comment went.
I am amazed how much I enjoy retirement. Because I was so busy when I worked, I worried about filling idle time. I worry no longer!
August 3, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Hi, Kat
It’s wonderful how just when people are trying to make me feel a bit guilty about not “doing something” in my retirement you post about the joys of doing just what I’m doing. Thank-you.
August 3, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Caryn,
It is my pleasure.
You are doing something in your retirement. You’re reading, relaxing and enjoying life.
August 5, 2010 at 9:47 pm
The great phiosopher Giambattista Vico had a phrase for it – “corsi et ricorsi”.In his world we all go back to our more simple days, the days of our youth, eventually..I believe that the world of the 50’s and 60’s was simpler because we had so much less information to filter and, as kids, we could absorb the outside world more effectively.I can remember whole days of my youth more than I can remember yesterday.Recently I re-discovered my best friend from 6th grade who I hadnt talked with for over 40 years(!) and as he described our childhood I realised I wasnt far off the mark.It WAS as I remembered it. ..
August 6, 2010 at 10:54 am
sblake,
That is exactly it. My life is so much like it was when I was a kid. Sitting on the deck, I watch the birds and read and just enjoy life. Some days I take a ride just for the fun of it. I don’t have to fill my head with teacher evaluations, classroom visits, meetings, kids and problem after problem arriving on my desk. Some days my biggest decision is what to have for dinner.