Too Much Time

Asked what a friend who has been retired a number of years does in his “spare” time, he cheerfully responds, “Whatever I want to do.”  There are plenty of opportunities and choices available in retirement, I have discovered. Key pleasures include not arising at o’dark thirty; remaining in my pajamas until mid-morning; watching the sun rise while writing in my journal, a good cup of coffee in hand; entertaining luncheon guests mid-week; watching every game in the World Series without concern for late hour or work needing attention; hitting the gym at whatever hour is convenient. All in all, fourteen months (493 days, to be exact) into this stage of life, I am happy to report that my choice to retire remains a healthy and fulfilling one.

Which is not to suggest that I’ve got the new schedule and responsibilities perfectly aligned. Every day I create a To Do List, which includes the mundane (“Laundry,” which I am confident I will do) and the more aspirational. Every subsequent day I move at least a few things forward from the previous day. Sometimes more than once. Or twice. To be honest, “Blog” has reappeared with remarkable regularity since early summer. Why is that, I ask myself? For years I wrote a bi-weekly column for the Incline Village “Bonanza.” The deadline was noon on Mondays. Rarely did I miss one.

Now, I frequently think of topics of interest, some weighty, some frivolous. I make note of such topics in the “Lists” app on my phone. The list: 14; written blogs: 0. Clearly, I have too much time and not enough deadlines. Plus, I wonder who my audience might be. Ultimately, I have decided that it doesn’t matter whether or not anyone reads what I post. I miss the act of writing, of sharing musings on Life. So, I have created my own deadline: produce something every Friday. Let’s see how that works…

Author: Glass

I retired in July after forty-six years in independent school education. I taught students in classes from PreK-12, was a middle school head for many years, and a head of school for 17. View all posts by Glass