A year closer to 60

Another birthday – not a “big” one but a special one as it is the first time for 5 years since I woke up on my birthday in the same house as Nicky. I’m 58 today – 2 years off 60 and a year retired.
Maybe retiring before 60 makes it feel different, but for me, it’s been a great adventure. There’s been no regret that I have stopped working formally – except on pay day when there is no salary! – and no feeling that I am on the downhill slope to old age. In fact, I feel younger, more alive and more energetic than I did a year ago.

As I had a little snooze after lunch today – after a 5 km walk and a Turkish takeaway for lunch – I thought about how different my birthdays usually have been – working till late in the afternoon, rushing home to smile and pretend I really do want to go out to dinner, but meanwhile thinking of all the reports I should be working on, and then falling into bed exhausted so I can get up early and be at school before anyone else in the morning in order to get some work done before the hurly-burly of the day.

I love being a pensioner; having a pensioners’ card so we can get money off things – not that I’ve actually used it; going for walks in the morning after the traffic has gone; travelling out of school holidays; shopping on weekday mornings; watching the cooking channel while I have lunch; eating breakfast and lunch on the verandah; reading the newspaper or not with my morning coffee– because there is time to do it later if I feel like it; checking facebook when I want to and not when there is a 5 minute gap – yes, there are a lot of advantages to being older.

I don’t know how I had time to work – my life is busy and fulfilled. What a pity people ever have to work – young people could really do with the joy of the kind of life we have right now. But maybe we only appreciate it because we haven’t had it before.

I look forward to another special year – roll on 59!