Happiness Is...

Last year, without fanfare, I slipped into the decade that promises senior citizens discounts, Social Security and Medicare.  Having worked for more than forty years for these “entitlements” I suppose I should be nervous if they will still exist when I am eligible.  And I suppose I should be consumed with my aches and pains, the loneliness of my empty nest, and the shrinking value of my 401 K.

Instead I find I am deliriously happy.  True, I have the luck of being able to take an early retirement.  In turn, the windfall of free time allows me to pursue hobbies for the first time since childhood.

To celebrate my big 60 birthdays I bought an 11” Air Mac.  After all the years of lugging briefcases, bone spurs on both shoulders are just waiting to tear my rotator cuffs should I lift anything heavy.  Hence the choice of one of the lightest computers around.  And I bought myself a year’s worth of “One to One” classes at the Apple store.  I figured I better find out how to use my cute little computer.  Last night after I had written my first substantive blog, I managed to delete it.  So maybe I better keep taking those classes.  I have started over on my trusty old PC, with an ergonomic keyboard, since I also had carpal tunnel by the time I retired.  

Here are my thoughts on the joys of my retirement.

 I started oil painting lessons.  The arm and hand issues give me some problems.  But as long as I am careful with how I set up my easel and don’t paint for too many hours I am fine.

I also am traveling for fun.  With a suitcase on wheels I am a grandma on the go, visiting my sons, their significant others and my grandkids.  I enjoy spoiling them as much as possible and then handing them back to their parents. What grandparent doesn’t?

You might think all these new ventures account for my state of euphoria. But I don’t think that is the whole truth.

The real reason I am so happy is that I have decided never again to wear uncomfortable shoes. During my writing, painting, and travels, my feet are barefoot or clad in Crocs, Easy Spirit tennies, or soft sandals.  In winter I prefer Uggs or Hunter boots, or the Easy Spirit tennies if the weather is not too cold or wet.

I still have a closet full of pretty shoes: suede heels, peep-toed sling-backs, and all sorts of shaped shoes in which I have crammed my feet during my working life.  I never plan to walk in those shoes again.

You may think I should get rid of them.  But they would just destroy someone else’s feet if I gave them away.  And there always is the chance some day I will be invited to sit on a “Talking Head panel”.  One on TV where my feet are shown.  Then perhaps the suede heels will be seen on my feet again. As long as I can walk there in my Crocs or tennies.

Dorothy’s Idea of the Day: Why don’t we hook up all the exercise equipment at the gyms around the country to some contraption to generate electricity?  While we are spinning or running our way to slimmer health we would be doing something good for the planet.