Everything that is Old is New Again

It is hard to decide... do I garden, read, or vacuum? The fact that I get to make those decisions based on how I feel, or even on what I wish, amazes me. On the first day of my retirement, I felt guilty.  Now time is on my side... kind of. Even though the years remaining for me have shrunk, as I look around at age-mates, my generation is living FOREVER. The idea of sitting and waiting could be boring. And, the ultimate question could be, "Why would I do that?"  There are things that need to be done.

All of us see changes in life. Embracing life is what is important. I don't "live in the moment" as people suggest. A certain amount of daydreaming is necessary, I think. I simply live, and I am content. As for the changes, here are some I see now. 

• I am beginning to do the things I used to dread when I got "old"... I turn on the light in my bedroom before dark and even turn down my bed while I am at it. If you have fumbled around in the dark and been afraid to fall, you will understand.  It surprised me when I began doing that.
• That age-old mindset called gullibility is becoming a problem. The need to guard against ads on computer websites like Facebook is becoming increasingly important. On Facebook, I saw an ad for a shoe that was supposed to help people like me who have balance issues. I thought I would just check on that and was actually tempted. Sigh. 
• It has occurred to me that I could become a recluse. Going out in the cold/dark/cold/hot will have me staying at home. As a result, walking becomes harder simply because my muscles don't get used. It is so comfortable in my chair with my dog on my lap. Leaving my house requires an effort.
• Calling for help when I can do the job myself is becoming more common. Pure laziness will take over and make me act helpless. Women with husbands are tempted to do this. I often wonder if that is why husbands develop the habit of supervising their wives' every move. (My husband was not very willing at first to help me with what I simply didn't want to do. If I called him more than once to come and solve a single problem, he would say "GD Barbara" under his breath as he walked down the hall. I even threatened to change my name to "GD Barbara")

I am interested in what changes are happening in your life, no matter your age. WHAT IS NEW IN YOUR LIFE? Or is everything that is Old New Again!

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 When my mother was very old, she was so gullible, and it had even begun to creep up on my husband as he came to the end of his life. I was very excited as older people began embracing the use of computers, but now I can see that there may be a downside to that. 

 

 

On retirement: What does retirement mean to you? Seriously, what does that word mean? It seems to me that the meaning of that word changes over time.