So anyway, Old Boss came by Friday to pick up some letterhead. He may be retired but he's still involved in things like the Boy Scouts and the Sons of the American Revolution.
"So, how are ya doing, Bob?" he asked.
"Oh, fine. How are YOU?" I asked right back at him.
"Great! You can't beat doin' nothin'!
"Yeah?" I challenged. "Yer not bored stiff yet?"
He looked away with a grin, searching for a response. It seemed t'me that I'd either hit him where it hurt or made him realized something that he already knew.
"Oh, I came close a couple of times," he smiled. "I'm finally taking on a few projects that I'd been putting off for years. And every morning, before she goes to work, Liz leaves me a little 'To Do' list..."
Ol' Maurice (who is not 'Old Boss') was an octogenerian who worked in the Caldor mailroom until some 14 years ago. All of us younger guys assumed that he did it 'cuz needed the money. After he died we read his obituary. He was a freakin' millionaire who, among other things, owned a newspaper in (I believe) Puerto Rico. He wasn't working because he needed the money, he was working to keep busy; to still be a part of this old world of his.
It's nice to sleep in every morning. It's even nicer to have a reason to get up in the morning.
I have a dear friend from my college days who, due to a mental/emotion disability can't hold a job. She goes to sleep at dawn and gets up in the late afternoon. Other than her therapist appointments she has no reason to get up every day. I've tried to tell her to find a hobby that drags her out of the house -- preferably at an early hour -- so that she wont forget what sunlight is. She can't do it and that's probably the biggest reason why I haven't spoken to her in over two years.
Then there's my grandmother. She'll be 89 years old this spring and she still finds ways to keep busy. Whether it's writing online or teaching Sunday School, she refuses to do nothing. However, occassionally, she says things like "I'm ready to go at any time" and "well, my life doesn't have the meaning that it pnce did...". But she's still alive and so she makes every day a day worth living.
Retirement? Bah! Oh, from the daily grind? Yeah, sure. But from the wild whacky world of busy living? Never!
Old Boss will be back for envelopes some day soon because, if for no other reason, it'll keep him busy. Yay!
Posted by Tuning Spork at December 3, 2005 09:34 PM | TrackBack