Today was one of those "in-between" days I talked about yesterday. No momentous happenings; in fact, it was broken up by a doctor's appointment and a meeting with a police officer friend about church security. The way everything played out, I wasn't able to do the bathroom tile as I had planned, so I cleaned the chimney for our wood stove, brought in the wood bin, filled it with the first of the season's firewood, and cleaned out my desk. Besides my morning exercise and Bible reading, that's about it; not exactly the stuff out of which novels are born.
It's still hard for me to get used to not getting up and going to work. It feels like somehow I'm shirking my duty, even though I'm plenty busy. I have another sermon to prepare for Sunday, some letters that need to be written, and it would be advantageous to make time to practice my music prior to this week's lesson. People keep asking me how I like retirement, to which I answer affirmatively. Inevitably, they then ask what I do with my time. I have yet to come up with a clever answer, and the last thing I want to do is be one of those retirees who say they're so busy they don't know how they found time to work. The answer to that is simple: they did what they had to do instead of everything they wanted to do.
I read today about people who when they retire, sell their home and begin to travel. Their Facebook posts are filled with photos of the places they've been. I can't think of a more sterile way to spend retirement. I like to travel and see new places, but not at the expense of keeping those connections with the people who have been a part of my life for so many years. Seeing the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal were great experiences, but they cannot match the joy our granddaughter Gemma gives when she comes running to me yelling, "Boppa, Boppa!"
In a few minutes, we'll head to church for Monday evening Bible studies, where we'll see our friends, talk and pray, and come home tired, but filled with the blessings of family and friendships that are richer than any bank account.
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