Saturday, July 08, 2006

Time and the seasons

Can it be that after only a couple of weeks of retirement I often lose track of the day of the week? The time of day also does not seem so important, certainly I don't have to rush in the morning. I do have my 4 aerobics classes a week, so that gives the week a nice structure.

What about the seasons, and here I don't mean the summer etc variety. Working in the education sector, the year is already divided up for you into semesters and various breaks in between. You get into the rhythm of the year depending on what point the academic year has reached. Will something else come along to replace that? Is it necessary? I do feel my working years went by quickly because there were so many markers throughout the year. If only retirement would mean a slowing in the passage of years, but somehow I don't think that will be.

My main motto is: Try to have some fun every day.

6 comments:

Alice said...

We find it surprising just how fast the weeks, months, years go by even in retirement. I think the greatest relief of retirement is not having so many deadlines and time constraints as when working. It really doesn't matter if you want to have a lazy day, although you'll probably find that you have many things to fill your day, and you may very well find more things as time goes on. You've already recently 'discovered' book binding; I'm sure there will be others. It does take a while to mentally adjust and realise that you don't have to stop all the fun and go back to work in a couple of weeks.

Susie said...

Alice is correct.
For a while, retirement seems like a vacation. I had sort of forgotten that. For us the year is still geared to the school calendar! Our daughter is a teacher and needs childcare while she works.
We are busier during the school year with our grandsons and their school activities.
Summer time is our "time off"
Glad you're enjoying each day!

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

That's a great motto to have and one that I adhere to.

I frankly don't care what day of the week it is only on Monday when I need to put the trash out for the truck.

Retirement has been filled with so many new activities that it seems like I'm always on vacation...and I am. I really don't know how I would ever fit a job into my life again...there is just no time for it.

My husband and I agreed not to be anyone's babysitters during our retirement...We do enjoy the company of our grandchildren and children and enjoy doing things with them, but we are also free to leave on a Holiday at a moments notice.

Enjoy your retirement because as you already know...times flies and doesn't wait for anyone.

lindsaylobe said...

I think it will be interesting to ascertain "Your new Season of Retirement “and how that evolves. If you are like me, you probably like having order in your life, with some routine, coinciding with the seasons. You now have more choices, to travel to other places in winter appropriate to that season or to enjoy more sun, and time to join in, as you have in community interests.
Keep us posted on your thinking.

Many good points have been made by Alice and other Bloggers.

best wishes

Val said...

Everyone is making such good comments on this topic, I am very tempted to cut and paste them into a post of their own. Thanks, everyone!

Although my husband and I haven't discussed it as AIP as done, and the arrival of grandchildren seems far off at this stage anyway, I don't think I personally would be willing to give up my retirement time for more child care duties. The years of doing that were wonderful but the end to that stage of my life was cause for a celebration. I am celebrating freedom now, freedom that I didn't have when the boys needed taking care of, our working lives and timing of our vacations were structured for child care needs. And those needs we took care of ourselves or paid for them ourselves. Time for the next generation to organise themselves so that they can do the same. Time, ladies and gentlemen, is the operative word here, along with freedom.

Kerri said...

Now that I'm on vacation, I find myself forgetting which day of the week it is.
I personally don't want the days/weeks/months to be too structured, as they are very rigidly during the school year. I want some carefree days when I can choose my path without having to adhere to a schedule! I'm looking forward to retirement!
I'm loving this wonderful sunny weather we're finally having after the rains....and time to work in the gardens!