I had to get up quite early yesterday morning to accompany Mike to the doctor’s office for a glucose tolerance test. It was still dark outside when I arose but there were already children standing on the corner waiting for the school bus. When we left the sun was barely rising over the horizon and yet the streets were crowded with people on their way to work. I was thankful that I no longer have to rush out of the house each morning as I did in the years when I was working. I also thought about an article that I recently read that reported the results of a study that found that most Americans are sleep deprived.
When I was young there was much talk about how technology would one day allow mankind to work less. Back then prognosticators insisted that we would eventually see twenty to thirty hour work weeks and enjoy much more time for relaxation with our families. Forecasters described a wonderful world in which machines would help us to realize the best of ourselves with less effort. Of course, we all know that few people work shorter hours today. In fact they may even work more. The promised technological innovations have made it easier for fewer employees to accomplish tasks. Instead of shortening the hours of work, most organizations have simply reduced the number of workers that they hire. Most of the people that I know, including young children, seem to be filling more and more minutes of every single day with activities that actually serve to diminish the time that they have to sleep. Our nation is filled with people who are exhausted. Continue reading “ZZZ”
One of the best aspects of retirement is that I am able to have lazy mornings without guilt. I appreciate the fact that I don’t have to rush around and tackle traffic on rainy mornings like this one. I stay inside sipping on my tea and viewing Mother Nature’s storms from my windows. Since it is unlikely that anyone will unexpectedly come to my door on a day like today I am able to linger in my pajamas a bit longer than I would if I had places to go and things to accomplish. It’s nice to be able to peruse the online news sources and to get up to date information on the weather. Since I had oral surgery just yesterday I am supposed to take it a bit easy for another twenty four hours or so. Luckily I don’t have to feel compelled to rush off to a job with my pain medication tucked into my purse. I am able to nurse myself in ways that I never did when I was still working. It’s a very nice situation indeed!
A small group of people from my high school class have begun to explore ideas for our fiftieth reunion. Where does the time go? Surely it was only yesterday when we sat inside the gym on Mt. Carmel Drive while our family and friends watched us graduate from our youth into the world of adults. I’m certain that each of us quietly dreamed about the future. I know that I was convinced that I would do something extraordinary. Of course I had little idea what that might be beyond a superficial understanding of what it really means to be more than just ordinary. Back then my thoughts involved fame, wealth, distinction. Mine was a vague picture of an existence that would stand out from the humdrum. 
All It Takes Is A Little Love 