November 29, 2011
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A New Season
Winter is about to set upon us in Ohio. She is in the teasing mode right now; presenting lots of moisture and dipping the temperature just low enough to threaten snow but pulling back at the last moment. I can visualize the icy, threatening grin as she flashes glimpses of things to come.
Well, one of the advantages of accumulating a few years is that you gain the perspective, “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all”. We have gotten through past winters and we will get through the coming one.
Speaking of age and winter, I have entered into one of the primary seasons of life – I have retired my formal working career. This phase is often referred to as life’s winter season, but I feel more like I am in an extended fall. Maybe this is what wintering in Key West is like. I am only 58 years old so by most accounts, too young to retire. Some of those years however provided some accelerated wear and tear. My oncologist suggested that considering the cancer, chemo and stem cell transplant, I should consider getting out from under the burden and stress of the “daily grind”. The damage to various body systems has turned out to be progressive; the sum of which is to render me less and less able to cope with the rigors of working a stressful job. One of the realizations that I have experienced is the connection between the body, mind, and emotions. The stress to my body has taken a toll on the stability of my emotions and nerves. The emotional connection became very apparent a few years ago when I did so much blogging. I wrote prose and poetry; both spewing forth almost without “my” control. I sort of watched as an observer.
I don’t feel physically bad all of the time as long as I can rest on demand and don’t have to deal with much responsibility. I still feel active and have thoughts for a number of projects that I would like to tackle so, I don’t really feel much like the chilled, muffled tones of winter are setting in. But, fall is definitely maturing, the leaves are all fallen, and it is a good idea to have a sweater handy.
Comments (2)
I actually think every age is a good age to ‘retire,’ if that means (in the usual definition of things) getting away from a nasty enforce way of making money into what you really, actually want to do. My partner is all about ‘work alternatives’ that have us all doing what we want to do and sharing the fruits of that with others. Yeah, yeah – he was once a card-carrying member of the Communist Party and has one of those FBI files on him – but I think that was more from the anti-Vietnam days than any actual imposition of the collective on rugged individualism here at home. Anyway: I tend to ask him stuff like: “What if no-one wants to do the really shitty stuff?” His answer is that really shitty stuff probably shouldn’t be done, but sadly: we do all still shit.
Anyway. Am I a little off-track?
CONGRATULATIONS on getting out of the really-shitty-stuff world (I hope), and I know that you have plenty, plenty of great things in you to do now. Grandparenting is obviously one, but I’m hoping blogging is too!
I retired once; it was a week before my 50th birthday. Not for health reasons. Marvis, the first love of my life, kinda twisted my arm and said it would be a good idea to move to Florida near her family, and I had enough money saved up, and yadda yadda yadda.
I did notice that it was good for the body to be able to rest whenever needed. The workaday world with its enforced 24-hour cycle is not necessarily healthful, although it DOES encourage regularity which has its positive points.
I’m thrilled that you’re doing well.