Patrick
Kennedy
 

September
Wasting Time


Oh you poor seniors and anybody else in retirement, you are undergoing or causing mold on your body or the loss of strength while reading that book or taking an afternoon nap. It’s a waste some say. That is, the gradual loss or decrease by use, wear, or decay, oh your poor body and mind is going to take the low road if you read that book. A nap -- why destroy your mind with such an act of leisure, that is doing nothing and wasting time? After all, time is the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues, the point or period when something occurs. And in this case that period is called life and the time is today or now. And since time never stops and has no beginning or end, as far as we know these days, how can it be wasted?

This all sounds like those days at work when managing time was the ultimate goal; getting as much done before the clock hits the go-home alarm. You could do nothing else because you had to do something all the time … except at the distraction called a coffee break. After that, you had to set out with your prepared plan for the day without being further distracted.

Now we have a better idea what retirement is all about. It’s ignoring the passing of time and doing what you darn well feels like doing … just because. That is to; blow, dissipate, fiddle away, fritter (away), lavish, lose, misspend, run through, spend, squander, throw away, or trifle (away), all the time you want because no one is looking or caring but you. It also could be called sitting around, watching TV, reading that book, fishing, bowling, and golfing, hunting, camping, traveling, having a few beers at the bar or any other waste of time called pleasures.

On the other side of the kitchen table it could mean shopping, sewing, bridge games, decorating the house, planting that garden that’s been on your mind for a while, or even taking up an art project. Or maybe taking the proper time and cooking that delicious dinner for the family that used to be prepared between quitting time at the job and the all-are-hungry gang sitting at the dining table pounding their silverware on the placemats. “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you,” said Carl Sandburg. What Carl is saying is don’t let others spend your dimes of time, they are yours to waste as you wish.

So, retirement and wasting time is the same thing. To retire it is required to waste time as you wish, when you wish, and how you wish. “Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life,” said Michael LeBoeuf an author and businessman. But wasting your time your way is okay when retired. Having the right attitude is important. “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference,” Winston Churchill, so positive thinking about wasting time your way makes for a good retirement; sleep on it or take a nap, you deserve it after all the years of time management.

©2013, Patrick Kennedy

*    *    *

Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life. - Nicolas Chamfort

Patrick M. Kennedy (P Manvel Kennedy) has been a professional writer, editor, and graphic artist for over 30 years. He is the author of three books: More Fun with Retirement: A coffee break for seniors, How to Have Fun with Retirement, and Being a Senior Citizen: You rnew phase of life with many questions looking for answers. and his latest book: More Fun with Retirement: A coffee break for seniors. He currently works from Boise, Idaho. In the past he has worked from Seattle, Indianapolis, and Las Vegas. He keeps busy because he knows it is important when writing or editing any material with a particular objective in mind, for either personal use or business goals, to present ideas with quality, clarity and accuracy. He can do that, and he does most of it himself, but he occasionally must call upon qualified associates for assistance.

"My Resume shows me as an experienced professional writer and editor who specializes in the English language. With years of professional experience in the writing/editing/graphics field, I offer quality services to both individual and business clients, with prompt and accurate solutions designed to meet their needs, and online editing services and writing services for easy and quick results. www.abetterword.com



Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Statement
Menstuff® Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay