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"Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you." (Isaiah 46:4)
I'm sure you've heard the old cliché, "You can't go home again." This idiom is just one among the many culture statements quoted down through the ages. But what does it mean; to a wanderer who carries their home with them, to a runaway child abused by his parents, to a homeless man, who has no home? To me, home actually means a place of comfort and safety, a place where one is loved by all concerned. So is the meaning of this old expression physical or is it just a philosophical "pipe dream"? And is retirement included in the mix?
Are you lucky enough to enjoy retirement? If, so what are you doing with all your free time? Oops, let me qualify that question somewhat. If you are like me, you really don't have much free time. What with all those "honey-do" chores and all that comes with them that has been stacking up just waiting for the days of my leisure. Now my time in retirement is really not my own. Of course, these chores are all "freebies," with no monetary reward, just an occasional big hug and a wink or two.
I have been retired now some six years. In some ways, it just seems like yesterday, and in some respects, it has been a virtual lifetime. With each day, comes a complete new ball game of life, such as flipping open my day-by-day labeled plastic pill box and downing my daily regimen.
Or like my Sunday afternoon routine of putting out Monday's garbage. I can ill afford to miss this Sunday mission. The wife always likes to rub in this little errand, by quoting the old saying, "Guess what day it is?" My cynical, yet polite answer is always, "Why it’s Sunday of course, Dear! We just got home from church."
One of my enjoyments is to tune in that "fifties" channel on my Sirius XM vehicle radio as I travel about the city running errands and taking care of business. I have to be careful to change the channel quickly however, when the family is in the vehicle to avoid those 21st Century looks and eye rolls. My response is always, "At least I can understand the song lyrics."
Like many others, I just knew I'd set the world on fire. I would become like so many other great Shakespearean orators by sharing my vast life experiences with all my neighbors at our little monthly "town hall" senior get-together. Well, guess what? I failed in the orator's role, as well as many other projects I tried to take on. I couldn't even win at checkers, not to mention my Bingo failures. One would think, after so many retirement letdowns, giving up would be a relief. However, I just continued plugging along, hopefully for the better of it.
I just knew the wife would be so happy, if I pondered the many "honey-do" projects which were posted on my workshop wall, awaiting my retirement. However, to complicate matters even more, my workshop became filled with the many TV-advertised "foolproof" gadgets, the ones that make for an easier handyman lifestyle. I never could resist a "free lunch," if you know what I mean. Did I ever get a wrong number here, including not getting my orders doubled!
Why I even tried those miracle "fountain of youth" pills advertised on Prime Time television. You know, the ones that will mystically shed pounds, put spring back in your step and greatly improve memory. But sad to say, I still have to ask the wife what day it is as I rise to begin my day’s reign in my own little kingdom.
One of my first projects after retiring was to become better educated on the world’s current events. After all, if it was told on national television, it had to be true. So I settled back in my "Frazer Dad" comfortable recliner, you know, the one held together with all that duct tape, and surfed away. Boy, was I surprised! How did this planet get in such seeming disarray? And where have I been the last 50 years?
Oh well, life is depressing enough without some expert commentator telling me; so much for the TV news. Now, I just watch the TV home and garden shows, the ones that tell me how to remodel my home in three days with a budget of a few thousand dollars.
I must admit, I'm not the smartest fish in the pond, but I do have some logic. Life is what you make of it and that includes our glorious retirement years. So, I think I'll drive down the street and visit my favorite fast food joint for breakfast. For you see, with a coupon I can get the gravy and biscuit and the senior coffee for less than two bucks.
If I'm lucky, I can join the other seniors in helping to solve the world's problems over my decaf coffee. Or if I'm energetic enough, I'll just mosey over to the gym and work out on my free senior pass, by joining all the other "Mr. Senior Americas."
In conclusion, retirement life, in spite of what you might have heard, is great. And about all those uncontrollable worldly phenomena about which you’ve read, just take life as it comes by rolling with the punches. Since I can't do anything about such happenings, I'll just take Deputy Barney Fife's advice and "nip it in the bud," those ever-present negative thoughts, that is.
Just settle back and make yourself at home where you are. Wake up, get off your back-side, go out and smell the roses. So then whenever we have the opportunity, let’s practice doing good to all.
Author's Postscript:
So can you go home again? Yes, you can. You see, my Mom and Dad were in the ministry, and up until our moving to Florida, the church moved them around quite regularly. By the time I attended the sixth grade, I had been to six different schools, in six different cities.
As both Mom and Dad had been relocated away from their home place, our summer vacations usually consisted of them holding us kids hostage in the back seat of our 1955 Plymouth with no air conditioning, and off we would go to either West Virginia or South Florida, to visit the kinfolks.
Getting back home to me was a treat. I just couldn't wait to call my young "puppy-love" girlfriend, get back to my sand-lot basketball games, or simply just hang with all my pals.
Fast-forward a half century hence. Oftentimes on our summer family vacation when we go back to Panama City, Florida, where I did most of my growing up, I will take a drive down to my old neighborhood. Yes, the area has seen some changes. The area now has a new fancy name. Someone has labeled the area as the "History Center." In spite of this change, many memories linger. Oftentimes, I'll just stop in front of our old house, reminisce for awhile, dry my eyes and then move on.
Yes, you can go home again. It won't be the same as you once knew it. The adventure, however it may play out in your mind, might just help you appreciate the "now', in your life. Today's life is surely impressive. So, why not make the most of it? Visit the family, hug the grandkids, give a blessing to all, and say a little prayer for the family's safety. Amen!
http://ccrobey.wixsite.com/themessage
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