“But I’m really enjoying my retirement. I get to sleep in every day. I do crossword puzzles and eat cake.”
The weatherman said sun today, and he was mostly right. The sun has appeared every now and then with a cloudy blue sky as its backdrop. The wind and rain stayed around most of yesterday into last night, but I still went and filled the deck bird feeders out of a sense of guilt. I got wet. Warm weather is coming this weekend.
When I was a little kid, I never thought much about the week or even the day ahead. The only time I counted days was before Christmas. Life was in the present. Seldom did we ever make plans for the weekend or even the next day. It wasn’t until I was older, in high school, that the weekends took on importance. We made plans. Sometimes we went bowling or to a movie or even just hung around together. If the school had a Friday dance, we went. It was always, as most of them were, in the gym. Life was seldom complicated.
It seems all my life weekends have been the best part of the week. I got to sleep late, no alarm jarred me out of bed. Sometimes I had plans, especially when I was younger and still working. Friday nights we’d hit happy hour. Those were the days of free food with your drinks. Saturday I did my chores and went shopping, sometimes just for groceries or other times because I wanted to shop at fun stores and antique shops. It was my day, and I could do whatever I wanted. Sunday was change bed, do laundry, go to the dump, correct papers and prepare classes day. It was a warm-up for Monday.
When I was in Ghana, every day was a neat day, even the weekdays. I was always up early, never even needed an alarm. My world was always interesting. I’d sit on my porch before teaching and watch women carrying baskets on their heads as they walked to market and see small children going to school and stopping to say hello as they walked by my house. I’d watch lizards darting around and see chickens and goats wandering the school compound. Teaching too was a bit of an adventure. It was figuring out the best approach so my students could understand the intricacies of English grammar. Though I didn’t teach weekends, I lived on school grounds so I was always involved with school and my students often visited. I never minded the blurring of weekends and weekdays.
Since I’ve retired, I tell people every day is a Saturday. I can do whatever I want. Today I’m going to see a movie. Today I’m also going to the dump as I didn’t brave the elements yesterday. Weekends have lost their importance. Now Saturdays and Sundays are just days in the week like any other days. I’m happy.
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November 9, 2012 at 11:11 am
Beautifully said.
November 9, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Thanks, Nan!!
November 9, 2012 at 11:21 am
Hi Kat,
This past week was one of those rarities in retirement where every day had an appointment or errand. Oil burner guy, massage work, doctor, hair, I forget what else but there was something. I’m pooped!
And I have to mow my side lawn. Really.
Lizards running around was probably the most exotic part about visiting my friend in Texas. He has tiny lizards in the yard. I expected to see dead armadillos and cacti and I did. But seeing tiny lizards running up the trees was really cool. 🙂
Sunny and warming up. Whoo hoo! Enjoy the day!
November 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Hi Caryn,
That is a full week! I try and arrange a whole bunch of stuff on a single day so I can be a sloth the day after. Mostly it works!!
I remember when i saw my first lizard in Ghana. It was my very first full day in country. I was amazed at its size and colors. I knew I was somewhere exotic, somewhere wonderful!
November 9, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Rest up!!
November 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Yes we almost counted down the days before christmas but I also always counted down the days before I went with my friend to their summer house for a month or so 🙂 But no planning what so ever otherwise. I can’t remember when we started making plans for the weekend, I guess it was sometime during highschool.
My new neighbors have a high enough fence it seems so I never see their goats walking down the road but I do see two other goats running all over the road on my way to work sometimes, they are really beautiful and I would hate myself if I hit them with my car. So every time I see them on the road I honk the horn on my car just outside the wones´rs house and some distance more 🙂 After that it can take weeks before those goats are out running around again 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
November 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Not almost, always 🙂
November 9, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Christer,
We sometimes went away for a vacation, but unlike you, I never counted the days. We usually went different places.
I love the pictures you post of the wild and domestic animals you see on your walks. I’m lucky to see any when I’m driving.
Wild turkeys are frequent as there are now lots of them around. People would not have goats wandering because of the number of cars.
Enjoy your evening. Stay warm!!
November 9, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Another beautiful day wth the high in the lower 80s. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I love working and the weekends only hold one delight, to sleep a little longer. OK, seven instead of six thirty. As I get older I require less sleep. With my luck, if I retired I would probably out live my money 🙂
November 9, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Bob,
I have a friend who also defines herself through her work. She would not know how to fill the day without work. I have found it easy to fill my time and I love it.
November 10, 2012 at 10:03 am
I don’t just define myself through my work, but I enjoy what I am doing. Also, I don’t know what would happen if my wife and I had to spend every day together 🙂
November 10, 2012 at 10:17 am
Bob,
As long as you enjoy your work, do keep working!!