We've been preoccupied the past week, painting the living room, dining room, and entrance way. We are not done yet, because we are not hurrying. I've spent the majority of my life hurrying to get things done both at work and at home. I'm beyond that now.
What I have learned in retirement is this: Productivity is overrated. I need massive amounts of time to think, daydream, indulge myself with personal interests.
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| on a walkway, looking down into the water below |
Although I've been retired since 2017, I still find myself forgetting that I have all the time in the world now. It is a joy when I remember to "take my time." I'm remembering more often recently. Thank you for this reminder, Colette.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure.
DeleteLooks like a pattern transfer of oil paint on water to a length of fabric.
ReplyDeleteIt does! It's actually an extremely polluted lake in Florida.
DeleteI love what you learned in retirement. Yes, it's true!
ReplyDeleteSo true.
DeleteAs I was rushing from the dog park, to get the dogs home and then pick up my husband, I thought, he can wait an extra few minutes.
ReplyDeleteIs that a photo? It looks like a painting.
It's a photo, cropped and enhanced. One of my attempts to overcome a reluctance to manipulate photos for the sake of art. Ha.
DeleteBeautiful picture!
ReplyDeleteI've made it my first retirement goal to redecorate slowly one by one the rooms in our house. I am looking forward to it. Whether it will actually happen remains to be seen.
It's a worthy goal! I'm ashamed to say it took us 8 years to get started. I'm not sure why, it's been both fun and satisfying. When our young grandson saw it painted, he said, "Wow, it looks so MODERN."
Delete"Productivity is overrated"! So glad to hear that from you, Colette. I have been worrying since I retired that I don't keep busy enough. Now I can relax and enjoy my lazy moments without guilt! Hurray!
ReplyDeleteOh yes. We worked all our lives. Now we are entitled to take our time.
ReplyDeleteYep, earned it!
DeleteMy son and I were musing the other day about why it is we don't allow ourselves to ease into days. We jolt ourselves awake and run like a rocket throughout.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo. Enjoy the easy, breezy redecorating.
The "jolt ourselves awake" phrase is so true about the working part of our lives. A shock to the system.
DeleteI was "productive" for 53 years on and off in various jobs, so now in my retirement I think I'm entitled to be as un-productive as I fancy. As you say, a lot more time to just sit and think.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful?
DeleteA few days ago on a rare visit to my remaining brother (See Calling in on Bro) we ended up discussing domestic chores and their priorities.I envisaged this field of endeavour taking the shape of a pyramid: at the sharp end (high priority), taking out the garbage, at the flat end (very low priority), re-painting an otherwise perfectly decorated room as a purely whimsical exercise, there being no necessity. I suspect this project of yours to be whimsical. I doubt, for instance, that the walls, woodwork and ceiling would have become dirty, damaged or faded since most Americans I have known would previously have had a nervous breakdown long before any of these defects became remotely perceptible. Thus your reasons, so far as they may be formulated, can only be justified as aesthetic. It takes a lot of aesthetics to get me off my ass and embark on a project of this magnitude. A further restriction is that I also belong to the must-finish-it-before-sunset grouping since unnecessary DIY work tends to make me question the relevance of why I was born. To do this? Aaarghhh! I could be doing a sonnet.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, I wish you well. In a Jesuitical way I see you as sacificing your body and sanity as an indirect way of protecting my body and sanity. Thanks for that.
It is a self-inflicted job for purely aesthetic reasons, it's true. However, we moved in over 8 years ago, and have been wanting to paint these spaces ever since. I want some credit for that long period of laziness!
DeleteJesuitical! Ha. You're welcome.
You have the right attitude about retirement. We must stop and take time to smell the roses, or do nothing at all. I was getting stressed rushing to clear out my GA house but now I am also doing fun things while in Atlanta, and the clearing is at slow speed – it will be finished, when it will be… You will enjoy your new painted rooms though.
ReplyDeleteThey are almost done!
DeleteThe tricky question: how many spots of paint have you cleaned off the floor?
ReplyDeleteToo many to count.
Delete