Just Another Day

Today is just another day but it also happens to be my birthday.  At my age birthdays can be viewed two ways.  One can bemoan the fact that they are older or one can celebrate that they are still alive.  I choose the latter.  I am happy to be alive and in many ways this is one of the best times of my life.  As a retired person I have the freedom to finally live the way I want to live.  My life is more simple than exciting but I am content, relaxed, and stress free.  My mother and father lived well into their 80's.  A few years ago my granddaughter asked me how old my mother was.  When I told her she replied, "Boy, she sure is good at living"!  I hope I am also good at living.

Although I am now 68 years old and I do have a few aches and pains, I do not feel old.  In my mind I am much younger.  Just this past week my friend and I attended a concert honoring the memory of Jimi Hendrix.  We are still young enough to leave our homes at night and attend a concert but old enough to have seen the real Jimi Hendrix in our youth.

Today I slept in as I now can do whenever I want or need.  When I got up I made some coffee and reflected on my life as I listened to some Jethro Tull and Bach.  Later in the morning I went to Starbucks and enjoyed a free birthday breakfast.  Since it is a sunny and beautiful spring day I will soon go to the park for a nice walk among the trees.  The weather lately has been overcast and gloomy.  I am suffering from a lack of sunshine.  Gloomy weather is tough for me.  When the weather is dreary I lack the motivation to leave the house.  That's not all bad since I am a classic introvert who can be quite content with my music and books.

I know I don't write as much as I did in the past.  Those who care should not worry about me.  I am fine.  My introverted and solitary nature is doing very well now with the expansive amount of free and unscheduled time that retirement has given me.

Am I really 68?   My inner child is not convinced!    

Getting Back On The Horse

I have been retired now for over a year.  During much of that time I have not been writing.  During the early days of my retirement I struggled with my new freedom.  That struggle is well documented on this blog.  These days I am happy and content with my life.  I have settled into some new routines and in many ways I am living the way I have always wanted to live.  It is a simple Zen like existence.  I eat when I am hungry and I sleep when I tired.  I read books, listen to music, and walk in the park or around my neighborhood.  Nothing is forced and I strive to not feel guilty if some days I do very little.

Yesterday I came across an old blog from ten years ago and it still seemed relevant.  I posted it on Facebook and Twitter and it elicited a few responses.  This has encouraged me to take up writing once again.  Part of the reason I took a break from writing is that I felt I had nothing left to say.  After all I have written over 1,500 blogs since 2006.  Perhaps I do have a few things left to say.  Like the rest of my life I will not force anything.  I will listen and be open to the voices in the wind.  If there is something to say, I will say it.  If there is nothing to say, I will be silent.  Too often in the past I felt as though I was on production and every day was a deadline.  I often felt pressure because many people expected their daily thoughts from me.  I hope to have some new thoughts for you but they will not be on a daily basis.

Here's to new beginnings...…

Today is a frigid day in my part of the world.  It snowed a little yesterday and temperatures are currently in the teens.  I was hoping to not leave my house but my granddaughter left her book bag here and I had to drive it to her school this morning.  Now I am home with hot coffee and good music.

Did I mention that some days I just sit in my chair with a book in my lap while I stare out the window?  Rocking in my chair and staring out my window are traits I seemed to have inherited from my mother.  Do you ever wonder what parts of your parents are now part of you?

This is enough for today.  There are dirty dishes in the kitchen and books that need to be read.

If you are reading this I hope you are well.