Opus 2026-202: Repeated Reminders

I appreciate my retirement the most when I have morning appointments that give me deadlines. I have grown accustomed to getting up when I feel like it and knowing I have all the time in the world to do what I need to do. Of course it helped that I was getting up at 5:00 AM without an alarm.

Now with the change in the amount of daylight I find myself going to bed later which means I get up later. Recent doctor’s appointments and breakfasts with my son have reminded me that the rest of the world does not run on my schedule. I had forgotten that there was heavy traffic in the morning.

I am enjoying being retired. When I have reminders of the working class I am even more happy with the way things are. So if you are still working, blessings. Make lots of money so you can pay lots of taxes and keep Medicare going.

I will try to leave something for you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-184: Where Will I Find the Time?

I find myself with more books to read every day.  I just finished a two volume set that a friend sent me.  In order to really grasp what it’s saying, I am going to read them again.  I’ve already started.  While I’m doing that I am reading another book by Thomas Sowell that was given to me by someone at church.  On my shelf with just a few pages read, I have a new book by Jordan Peterson, given to me by another friend.  On the shelves around my room, I have books that I have started and plan to finish and others that I have not started yet.  I have a list of books that I am looking for in the library and if I can’t find them after a certain point I may be forced to try and buy them.

Where am I going to find a time?

Fortunately, I’m retired and still think that my mind is working.  It’s always possible that I keep reading the same book over and over again, and just don’t remember it.  That takes care of the problem in one way.  But let’s assume that I am actually aware of what I’m doing and my interest keeps expanding and my potential resources keep piling up.

Fortunately, I also have eternity.  Believing in eternal life certainly gives you a different perspective on reading all the things that you want to read and getting to what people tend to call their bucket list.  The problem is that when we cross that line into eternity it’s very possible that our interest may change.  I would say not only may change, will change.  I will have a whole new list of books to read that I never even knew existed.  I will have musical instruments that I can now learn to master having perfect coordination, perfect pitch, and a voice that works again.  I will have endless discussions and debates not only with all the people that I have not seen enough in this life, but with historic figures.  I would love to debate with the apostle Paul, and find out what he was trying to say in Romans.  In addition to that I think Jesus will be able to fit me into his calendar for lunch or breakfast or for a long road trip.

It brings new meaning for a paraphrase of a common vulgarity, “So many books. So little time.”

But of course, the number of books will increase to match the amount of time that we have.

Hell, on the other hand might be a place where you have piles of books, but all the light bulbs are burnt out or you can’t find your glasses.  You’ll be able to do is turn the pages and wonder what they might tell you.

Have a blessed eternity.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-123: Living the Dream

It occurred to me this morning that both my wife and I are living out our dream as we are in the age of retirement.  The dreams go totally opposite ways.  That causes some conflict.  That is a mild statement compared to reality.  But we’re working it out.

I am rejoicing in retirement.  I am an introvert.  I enjoy my own company for the most part.  I can enjoy the company of others but it is draining on me.  I will confess that sometimes the drain is worth it.  I think of one day recently where after getting up without an alarm and spending a good time in worship and going for a walk, I then join a zoom call with a bunch of like-minded old geezers.  It didn’t end there.  After that I had a friend call and we spent several hours arguing about his plan of the end times.  That evening I went out to dinner with my son.  It was a glorious day of interaction.  It was a totally exhausting experience.  I’m glad I did it.  I’m glad it doesn’t happen every day.

So I am enjoying retirement.  I have lots of time to sit out on the front porch and enjoy God‘s creation.  I have time to study.  I have time to write.  I have time to read.  I have time to take naps.  And God is provided enough resources for me to do that without worrying about where my next meal will come from or can I pay the electricity bill.  Life is good

My wife on the other hand is an extrovert.  She’s not happy unless she’s out changing the world.  For her that means being in charge of things and helping people in need.  So she’s out rushing from crisis to crisis, complaining about all the demands on her time, struggling with her physical issues, and to be honest, enjoying every minute of it.  She is doing what she always wanted, but I don’t know if she even sees it.  But after a lifetime invested in raising her children, and raising her mother, she is now free to try and raise the rest of the world.  She gets to worry about where her next meal is coming from.  She gets to worry about the electricity bill.  She’s been doing that for years to the point where we realized that every time she told us we wouldn’t make it to the end of the month, we were going to starve, it was just her way of budgeting.  For her life is good.

Isn’t it fascinating how we are all different and how different things make us happy.  It’s also interesting.  How seldom we realize how suited we are for the life we’re living in the environment that we have established.  We made decisions.  We set priorities.  And now we get to live in them.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-040: Starting Time

“Don’t trust anyone over thirty.”  That used to be a common sentiment.  Today I would find myself saying, “Don’t trust anyone under thirty.”  This of course speaks to the different ways that generations view things.  One of the books I read recently was Bowling Alone.  It had a lot of interesting information and a lot of boring nonsense.  One of the points the book made was that there has been a lot of parallel changes in many areas of our culture from voting to church attendance.  On the subject of voting it says,

“Very little of the net decline in voting is attributable to individual change, and virtually all of it is generational.” p. 34

There is a lot of discrimination that goes on across generations.  Some of it is warranted, some is not.  In many career paths older workers have a hard time getting a job that pays well even if they have the abilities and experience.  

I have reached the golden years of retirement.  If the government does not totally ruin our society and I don’t do something incredibly stupid, I will have enough to live on.  My health is good.  My family is awesome.  I am enjoying the time I have.  But I sometimes wonder if I should be doing more.  This hit me when I saw the following verse,

(Gen 12:4 KJV)  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Abram was 75 when he started out on his adventure of obedience and faith.  I can’t picture that.  I am ready to rest on my laurels, Abram was starting the nation of Israel.  

Maybe I should set my goals a bit higher.  Maybe not.

Putnam, Robert D.  Bowling Alone.  New York:  Simon and Schuster, 2000.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-197: Social Security Is Watching You

I went in for my first annual physical since going on Social Security.  The first thing I learned was that it is no longer an annual physical.  It in now an annual “wellness check”.  My wife was informed that the doctor would not touch us.  After a life time of being poked and prodded it seems that we have reached the level where none of that is necessary any more.  I was also told that they did not do the blood test for prostrate cancer anymore.  I can only assume that they hope we will just keel over and die.

Although the doctor did not have the time to check for hernia or swollen liver or any of the other things he could have looked at in a couple of minutes he did have a long list of questions to ask.  He started of by explaining, “Don’t get mad.  I am required to ask these questions.”  At the first one I had to laugh, “Do you know what year this is?”  I laughed because when I had signed the form at the front desk I had written 2017 instead of 2018.  It is a good thing I caught it and changed it.  He then went on to wonder if I had felt depressed or had a lack of interest in things.  He wanted to know if I had throw rugs in my house.  The last question was about having smoke detectors in my house.

This is your government in action.  They want to trap you into seeming to be crazy.  I wonder what would have happened if I did not know the county I was in or the state I lived in.  Would I have gone on a list that the government keeps to try and restrict my other freedoms because I was not competent?  Perhaps this is the first level of the death panels that will later decide who gets treatment and who doesn’t.

I am more worried about a hernia.  I guess I will know when my intestines start to stick out past my belly button.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-375: The End of Savings

I just discovered one of the joys of retirement.  I forgot to set my clocks back and it didn’t matter.  I had been up for over two hours and was showered and ready to go on the weekly pilgrimage to find the perfect church.  Then I noticed a post about turning our clocks back.  I checked my date book, my computer clock and my phone.  They all agreed.

So I had an extra hour before I left the house.  As they say, “No harm, no foul.”

Being retired, it could have happened any day of the week without a penalty.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-270: Ode to Old: At Last

I am at the moment when I will realize I am retired.  DEFCON is over.  I am on my way back to day to day life.  That used to mean that I would begin thinking about the new school year and doing a little planning ahead.  No longer is that true.  The end of DEFCON now means looking forward to not punching a time-clock.

It leads to another type of planning.  I can plan my day so that I would not need to spend so much time in line behind the peasants.  Restaurants can see me when there is no waiting, highways when traffic is light and department stores when the parking lot is empty.  It brings new challenges and habits.

I will also learn the joys of sitting at the social security office behind the masses that never paid into the system and the mystery of Medicare waits like the turkey vulture on the chimney across the street.

School is starting.  I am retired.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-162: Ode to Old: Maybe Tomorrow

This summer is going to be a prelude to retirement.  There are issues I will need to begin dealing with and priorities that need to be established. 

Teachers live in a world of privilege.  Yes, we have a rough job.  The stress is high and it takes a lot of energy.  At the same time the benefits are beyond what those of you paying our salaries can only dream of.  After having all summer off I can understand the appeal of welfare.  It is awesome to not have to work and still be able to eat.  It is so refreshing to not hear an alarm every morning.  Can you picture months in which you can say, “Tomorrow” to something you need to do and know that you will have the time.

Most of you are lucky to get two weeks paid vacation a year.  Most of you are losing your health insurance.  Many of you are worried about layoffs.

I will only need to worry for one more year.  That is what I know I have to do.  At that point we will decide if we can get out of the rat race and out of the People’s Republik of Kalifornia.  Then I will have to make some changes and I might as well get started.

It is hard to motivate yourself when you have plenty of time.  When you can mow the lawn tomorrow and it won’t make any difference it is an excuse for a nap.  You can have all the projects and goals in the world but when you have plenty of time it takes the edge off.  I think that discipline and a schedule will be necessary to self-impose.  I want to write more.  I have files full of ideas to write about.  I have a lot to say.  It doesn’t matter if no one is listening, I still want to say it.  Lazy afternoons are killers for a posting schedule.

I need to get started on this.  I have the rest of the summer.  Maybe tomorrow.

homo unius libri