I’ve never touched a star;
Never tried to reach that far.
Perhaps my goals are all too short, too frail.
My dreams are all mundane:
Never seeking wealth or fame,
Nor for great contributions to be hailed.
But when all’s said and done,
I’ve loved folks – one by one –
And in the end, it’s Love that will prevail.
~~~
Thinking about retiring? Looking for something to fill your days? Here’s my list of “interesting things” you can do IF you retire:
Count Your Fingers: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.”
Count Your Toes: “11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.”
21. Twiddle Your Thumbs: “Twiddle-dee, twiddle-dum, twiddle-dee …”
22. Contemplate Your Navel: “Hmmmmmmmm …”
I guess you’ve figured out that there is some kind of deep-seated, hidden message in this article. And you’re right. Here it is: I believe men and women should not retire. The very word retire – although we frequently use it to refer to leaving our paying employment – has inherent within it the meaning of pulling back, retreating, and becoming more secluded. And the root of the word – “tire” – means “to grow weary, diminish in strength, lose interest or become bored.” I just don’t like that word “retire.”
Now, If you have an 8:00 to 5:00 drudgery kind of job that you have had to work at for decades just to pay your bills, and you have an opportunity to trade it in for activity that you can enjoy more, certainly, say good bye to drudgery and try something new. But DO NOT retire. Stay involved in life to the fullest. Keep renewing your energy and your interests all your life. Be daring; try new things; experiment with activities that will challenge you and perhaps bring to light gifts and talents that you never realized you had.
And, above all, do things that positively affect other people. Be a giver. Expend your time, your energy, your abilities – yourself – in making life better for someone else. When you do that, your own life will continue to grow and thrive. Instead of retreating, you will be going forward – and really living – all of your life.
~~~
Image of feet, thanks to Clker.com ~~~ ~~~Julia’s 100-word story challenge this week is a beautiful picture from Marianne Whooley at Maris World. My story is below the picture.
IDENTITY
Sandy and Mandy were identical twins: blond, green-eyed beauties with a smattering of freckles and charming dispositions. Mom dressed them in identical outfits, bought them identical backpacks, and pulled their hair into identical pony tails.
She bragged to everyone about how “exactly alike” they were and insisted they do identical chores and play identical games at the same time. She sent them to Gramma’s farm together every year.
And every year, pony tails riding at exactly the same height, matching green eyes gazing into the peaceful pond, they stood on the old bridge and dreamed – utterly separate, sublimely independent dreams.
~~~
Come on: you can write a 100-word story too. Join us by visiting Julia’s site and getting all the information about how to take part.
http://jfb57.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/100-word-challenge-for-grown-ups-week89/
The Happy Wordcrafter 