It's noon on Dec. 26. I'm retired. Millions of people across the country went back to work this morning, though their Christmas photos aren't reviewed yet, much less sorted and shared; they have gifts they have barely looked at; and there's a stack of thank-you notes to write. Those magazines with promising holiday recipes and the enticing catalogs are headed for the trash, still filled with potential but still unread. Meanwhile, I'm here at home with no boss expecting me to come in, no work deadlines looming. My Christmas photos, gifts, thank-you notes, magazines, and catalogs are waiting too, just like my workbound friends'. While I have no boss expecting a report by 4 p.m., I have a very long to-do list of household jobs -- and no excuse to postpone them. I remember Andrei Codrescu on NPR, who said a job is a bucket of excuses and when you retire, you don't have that bucket anymore.
My holiday photos should be labeled, tagged, and sent today! My new latte maker ought to be unpacked, installed, and pressed into service. My thank-you notes ought to be half-finished at least. My closet has become a danger zone and should be straightened up by suppertime at least. Wouldn't I have accomplished at least that many things if I were in the office? C'mon, retired lady, get moving, no excuses.
On the other hand……. I didn't retire to feel harried, so that list needs to be whittled down. How to whittle is the key. For now, I'm going to stick to simple criteria: something for myself, something for others. "For others" will be the thank-you notes; "for myself" will be the latte maker, which will do double-duty as putting it into service will make the giver happy too. So I'm off to make a latte, and then will be back to craft some thank-you notes…….
My holiday photos should be labeled, tagged, and sent today! My new latte maker ought to be unpacked, installed, and pressed into service. My thank-you notes ought to be half-finished at least. My closet has become a danger zone and should be straightened up by suppertime at least. Wouldn't I have accomplished at least that many things if I were in the office? C'mon, retired lady, get moving, no excuses.
On the other hand……. I didn't retire to feel harried, so that list needs to be whittled down. How to whittle is the key. For now, I'm going to stick to simple criteria: something for myself, something for others. "For others" will be the thank-you notes; "for myself" will be the latte maker, which will do double-duty as putting it into service will make the giver happy too. So I'm off to make a latte, and then will be back to craft some thank-you notes…….
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