What Do I Do Now?

  Having retired, what happens if I run out of things to do? And not necessarily just Mama’s to do list, but things I want to do. Thus far I don’t have any worries on that account.
  First off, I have learned that I don’t have to worry about sleep, I’m not on a fixed schedule anymore. If I’m not tired I stay up and do “things”. If I am tired I go to bed. It’s surprisingly hard to come to the realization that tomorrow isn’t going to be a bad day just because I can’t get to sleep tonight. Less hard to accommodate is the notion of a nap, 15-20 minutes in the recliner sometimes sets up the rest of the day.
  Secondly, some things just naturally repeat day after day. Getting up, making that first cup of coffee, watching the news, reading the paper, doing both crosswords (local & NYT) just seem to fit into the morning. I’m really surprised to discover that I like doing crossword puzzles, so much so that I have a book with 500 NYT Sunday puzzles in it and an iPad app that serves up 18 new and different puzzles each day (Many thanks to my dear wife).
  After coffee and the paper each day unwinds as it will… A trip to the store can be as long or short as I want it to be. I might spend the day working on the computer. Maybe I clean my clubs after a (walking) round of golf. A movie on Netflicks? Read a book – Kindle or real. Mow the grass. Shovel snow. Hang curtains. Make burritos for a late lunch. Basically, I let the day come to me, I don’t force it. Some days I don’t do anything. For the last 18 months that has seemed to be more than enough.
  I don’t have to “accomplish” anything and I don’t have anything to “prove”. I do owe it to myself and my spouse to make “me” happy and that is what I am doing. I will note this though, on occasion there is nothing that makes you feel quite as stupid as a New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle, and there is nothing quite as satisfying as finally solving one (even if you have to look up the answers).
  The bottom line — I simply live life. I don’t tussle with it or try to make it something it isn’t, I just accept it as it is. I have nothing to prove but a whole lot to enjoy. I don’t think I will soon run out of things to do… life won’t let me.