While I was still working for my living people would say
things like “Once you retire you will be so busy you won’t know where the time
goes” or “ now that I am retired it is
all go, go, go“. And I would smile and nod my head and think “I don’t believe a
word you’re saying, when I retire I will do all the things I want to do and be
relaxed and stress free.” Well now I have been a retiree for nine months and I
am having to admit that maybe I have gone wrong somewhere. I haven’t done half
of the things that I intended to do, my house is no cleaner than it was before,
the cupboards are no tidier and the ironing basket is usually full as it was
before. I haven’t done any studying, read any good books, got fit, climbed Mt.
Everest or learnt to play the tuba.
I was not working a full 40 hour week; I only averaged about
20 hours actually working and about an hour each day travelling from one job to
the next so now I should have at least another 25 hours in my life to get on
with things. Things like writing my blog and catching up with all the letters I
owe to people. I have been trying to analyse this phenomena. I think it happens
to everyone as so many people tell me that they are so very busy now that they
are retired they wonder how they ever found time to work before.
I have to admit that I am doing a few things that I could
not do while I was working. I have been trying to walk for at least a half hour
each day, but I have been getting up early to do that. I have joined two bible
study groups in my church. They both meet once a fortnight on alternate
Tuesdays so it is only a couple hours one Tuesday morning and a few hours in
the evening on the following week. Not enough to account for the lost 25 hours.
I have now found some volunteer work that I think will suit
me. I have arranged to take an elderly lady shopping once a fortnight. My first
duty was last Wednesday morning but it only took me 1 ½ hours from the time I drove out of my
driveway to when I got home again. That should hardly make a difference to my
schedule.
Am I taking longer over the chores that I am doing? Am I
wasting time on the computer? My husband has had a few health issues recently
and I have accompanied him to his appointments and that does take some time I know
but not enough to account for discrepancy.
I start each week with a determination not to
waste any time in the coming seven days but my resolutions go the same way as
my resolutions to lose weight, get fit, answer all the letters I owe and catch
up with my blog – I start well but soon fade. Now that I have made a start on
my blog I will try and do better and maybe next week I will post another
episode to let you know how I am going