October 20, 2013

May 2012 was a gift from God, retirement! I closed up shop and left the state!

I’ve been retired now for just a little over a year. I think it’s the best thing in the world! No early morning wake up, no fighting traffic, no having to leave the house in the dark and in unfavorable weather,  no getting dressed and having to redress because you changed your mind on the outfit, and no hauling! Yes, hauling. I was hauling book bags, briefcase, coats, shoes, etc. If you are in education, you know what I’m talking about. I can give my shoulders and poor little fingers a rest now.

What one needs while they are working is no longer needed in retirement. I don’t need to put on makeup every day. I don’t need the new clothes, shoes, and purses that I thought I needed when I was working. Beauty shop and nails, you can even put that off.  LOL Well, maybe that can be put off for just for a week. Groceries bills are smaller because you are not buying lunch foods or fast meals for evening consumption.

I have settled into retirement and have become quite comfortable. I stay up late and even get to watch some movies. Yes, movies. Not the news before bed. I was always trying to hear the latest schools’ closings. It snows in Missouri you know. Don’t have to worry about that in Georgia! I wake up by eight or eight thirty every morning, watch the news, make coffee and breakfast, read, write, and send my morning prayers out to family and friends, surf the web, play the piano, and make phone calls. Yes, Lord, I thank you!

A couple of days ago, I was searching the web for plane tickets to get to Saint Louis for the holidays.  I get emails from various sites: Travelocity, Cheap O Air, Fare Compare, and Southwest Airlines. Oh yeah, I’m connected! That’s the way to shop. Compare those prices! Soon, I became quite disappointed because in order to get the best deals you must grab those tickets when you see them. I didn’t want to let go of the money yet, but I was worried that waiting may cause me to miss out on the best deal.

All of the sudden, I had a brainstorm! I need to find a part time job in order to save that money and call it my “play poll”. Yeah, I would always have it available for travel, shopping, etc. Great idea! What did I do? Well, Ms. Organizer, here, pulls out her thumb drive and finds her most recent resume and started revising. That wasn’t enough; I started writing a cover letter, too. “I have the motivation and drive to be an asset to any company. I consistently present a high-profile, professional demeanor, complemented by a positive, “can-do” attitude.” The words were flowing. I believed what I was writing, too! “I welcome the opportunity to elaborate on how I could make a substantial contribution to your organization. I look forward to talking with you soon.”  Saving, printing, and revising…man…you would have thought I was an editor for the city’s top newspaper.  Just as I got to the closing, “Sincerely”, my Catholic up-bringing kicked in. “What am I doing? You know you’re lying! You don’t want to work for anybody’s company! What about all the ideas you had when you retired a year ago? Have you forgotten those or just lost your mind!”

Two hours later…I started this blog.