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blogging101, Creative Writing, Family, Journaling, Journey 2016, Quotes, Reflections, Uncategorized, Writing 101
Yesterday was the first day of my year of being 65. Deep inside I know this year is going to be a transitional one for me. My life has been squared away for so long that I could roam around my “cave” and “spelunk” to my heart’s content without it really threatening the roles I play, the hats I wear, all that day-to-day stuff. It’s been fun seeing who I HAVE been and discovering who I MIGHT have been. Even MORE titillating has been envisioning who I might YET become.
But this is going to be an especially pivotal year because it will involve not only changes for me, but for Drollery as well as he winds down to retirement. This is my last chance to decide what I want from my life now — because now is going to be for the rest of my life, however long that is.
All these shards of colorful pottery I’ve found buried in my cave are lying here in front of me now and I need to choose which ones are valuable enough to keep and which ones need to be thrown away. I mean let’s face it. Some things in a person’s life (goals, wishes, dreams) have an expiration date. Once I’ve sorted through them all, THEN I can begin to piece together that new vase, jug, pitcher, whatever that’s going to be me for the next who-knows-how-many years. The trouble is…
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A middle period separates the beginning of a transition from its end. Most likely you won’t know when it starts. Phases of change dissolve from one into another almost without notice. They may even overlap for a while. Yet eventually you’ll come to realize you’re in a “between” time. If the change you’re going through is painful and traumatic, this period may seem long, arduous, and depressing…Your feelings may overwhelm you at times, but its just as likely they’ll become dulled and muted. Even if the change is one you’ve looked forward to, you’ll probably experience “in-between” feelings nonetheless, for you must let go of what has been before you can grasp what will be. (Welcoming Change: Discovering Hope in Life’s Transitions, James E. Miller)
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Tonight I feel very much like I’m in one of those “in-between” places. I’m no longer young, but I’m not quite old, either. I’m finding outside stressors are having a stronger than normal affect on me. One minute everything is sunny and bright, the next the clouds have rolled in and I’m trying to find somewhere to duck into out of the rain. And SOMETIMES it’s ME that turns into the thunderstorm! I have a feeling this year is going to wear me out. And no doubt my family, too…
My question tonight is, is a year going to be long enough?
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Picture Credits:
Fortune Cookie — www.thepalmerperspective.com
Broken Pottery — www.alamy.com
Little Girl — nomadicalsabbatical.com
Impromptu Promptlings 
There’s quite a banquet you’ve laid out on this table. I had so many thought while reading. And I want to go back and write down the points that caught my attention.
But first, the quote from James Miller, “Phases of change dissolve from one into another almost without notice.” Oddly, I feel like that describes my life. I mean, I’m sure I was mildly aware of stuff over the decades. But so little of it remains with me, so that it makes me feel startled to look around and feel I’ve gotten no where over the last 66 years. That’s just plain creepy.
Now, about what you wrote. When Q and I got married he was doing pretty good financially – for the most part. So when he retired, we were taken aback on how little we had to live on. Oddly, we actually managed. We don’t require a great deal of ‘stuff’ nor do we spend a great deal of time out in the world. We managed to get by on very little. We figured out what we really didn’t need – like you’re talking about with the shards. Thing like, cable TV. That doesn’t mean we don’t have stuff to watch. We actually have more to watch, and don’t have to put up with commercials. We don’t pay that ridiculous monthly amount. We dropped cable, got Netflix, and a Roku box, and have much more of that kind of entertainment. We also have access to friends, and fun online, also a lot less than the way it used to be – remember paying by the hour to be online??? We don’t travel – thought we’d like to on occasion, but we have been putting bits aside for any specific sojourn we might want to take one day.
What we might have thought was our last chance – like you mentioned – turned out to be a chance to see just how much we don’t need, or require. We get to eat out once a week – and don’t need those fancy restaurants either.
We’re basically content, and happy with what we have right now.
Yes, I’d love to be able to move back to Texas. But if that doesn’t happen, we still have been able to make it on what little we have, and we don’t feel deprived.
I think it might surprise people how little they need – not talking about medical costs here, just ADL – to enjoy life.
Yes, I’ve decided to put out my shingle: get the most out of life, on less.
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You mentioned that Monday when we were talking, too, that you did’t know where the time went and how did you get where you are. I’m guessing there are an awful lot of us that feel that way. Most of life just gets to be a blur sometimes, doesn’t it? Especially if there aren’t any BIG moments as milestones along the way.
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A blur… that’s the perfect way of describing it. That’s how it all seems, now, in retrospect. Food for thought on the ‘big milestones – or lack there of – situation.
Though I suppose if we can remember them, they’re milestones of a sort.
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Well a very belated Happy Birthday to you from Jonathan, David and myself, you kept that one quiet. 65, it can only get better from now on Cheryl, our love to you.
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Oh thank you, dear heart. It was a good birthday. Especially the raspberry margarita I had for dinner! 😀
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Those shards are beautiful….however you piece them together I’m sure it will be just what you need, when you need it. Happy Birthday Dear Friend 💛
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Thanks, dragonfly! ❤
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Happy belated birthday, my dear!
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Thanks, Lori. Turned out to be kind of stressful in one regard. I got a new laptop for my birthday. My other one was ten years old and finally bit the dust. I needed to get some some files off it and was havin’ the hardest time even finding the bloomin’ things. Had to call my personal Techi Colleen in Las Vegas to bail me out. That woman has the patience of a saint!!! Thank God for computer literate folks like Colls! 😀
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I hope you will have a marvelous year.
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Me, too! A little unnerving knowing I’ll be 66 (!) when we go on our cruise next year. Somehow I didn’t think it would take this long to get there. LOL
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Happy birthday for a day ago(or was it two days?)!!! You’ve another whole year to play with.
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We haven’t had my BD cake with candles yet as we’re trying to figure out how to include my brother-in-law who has cancer. But when I blow them suckers out I’m wishing for my own car!!! !!! !!! 😮
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What leapt out at me was ‘this is my last chance to decide what I want from my life now”. And I wondered why is it the last chance? As long as there is life and breath, there is always another chance. Or am I missing/not understanding something ?
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It’s just that if it turns out to be anything that requires money, once Drollery officially retires, our income basically dries up. We’re hustling at this point to pay off our debt as we’re only going to have Social Security to live on. I imagine every extra penny we might come up with will go toward flying back to Maryland to see the kids once a year. That will have to be a priority. So there won’t be a lot of playing and exploring going on. Really cramps one’s style, know what I mean? (Lordy! Not that we HAVE a style! LMBO)
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Know what you mean – TRH panics about money all the time, even though he has established a respectable retirement fund for us. We’re self funded as we retired early. It may be that we will get a little bit from the govt, not a lot. Possibly just health care cards. But what we have enables us to continue in the style we have whilst working. We’re not outrageously extravagant. TRH has been picking up the odd bit of black money jobs now and then, so that makes him feel a bit more secure 🙂
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change can be a good thing, but it can be arduous settling into the new. I admit as exciting as New can be, it can be stressful and scary as well. I have been through my own recent in between (perhaps I am still going through it?) ……..don’t forget to take time out to BREATHE.
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I hear that one. I’m prepared. That’s what Plato keeps telling me. So I bought a coffee mug that says “Breathe” on it to remind me. LOL
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