January 6th and other adventures

January 6th and Other Adventures by debgrant

January 6 - this poor date is getting overloaded with memorabilia.

• Epiphany - the church year’s celebration of the manifestation of the light or wise ones showing up late to the baby shower with Bed, Bath, and Beyond gifts.

• Anniversary of Insurrection/Capital riot/Security Breach/Coup/A parade that got a little out of hand/seditious mob - however you define what happened on January 6, 2021.

• The anniversary of my retirement January 6, 2019.

“Oh, there’s so much to say and so little time…so let’s just talk about me.”

• I actually saw a button once with that quote and I thought it was wonderful.

• My observations after 4 years into retirement:

  • My timing was brilliant. The pandemic started about a year or so later.

  • I got a lot of random advice:

    • You’re going to hate it.

    • You’re going to love it.

    • It is overrated. You’ll be working again soon.

    • Once a pastor, always a pastor.

    • To calculate your retirement income you have to decide on your death date. If the numbers don’t look good, die sooner.

    • The three stages of retirement are GO GO, Slow GO, and No GO.

  • My junk mail has morphed from AARP invitations to Medicare Plan B ads and Funeral planning.

  • I wish I had a quarter for everyone who has asked me, “So what are you doing?” The quarters would really help since I didn’t save enough for the shock waves of the pandemic on the stock market.

  • I have learned that monastic ones (monks and nuns) also get asked a lot by non-monastic ones: “So what do you do?” The best answer I heard was “I fall and get back up. I fall and get back up.” Applies to retirement too.

  • I really spent a chunk of time enjoying the luxury of time and the freedom to DO less and BE more.

  • DO? BE? DO? BE? DO?- A retirement playlist includes a Frank Sinatra riff.

  • I don’t miss work. I do miss more frequent conversations but that has as much to do with the pandemic as my change of pace. I am not lonely often. I enjoy the company of my bird and dog. My knees are more than willing to talk to me. I am good at listening.

  • I live more intentionally in the present. Here I am and God willing, today I will find something good to do.

  • I am trying to find a way to die of generosity. I read that from a poet. I thought it was cool.

  • I like being grateful. It helps me know what to do.

  • Do Be Do Be Do….I get that song stuck in my head.

  • I am grateful that someone out there in the world has read my words this far with a little grin. That is good for me. Now I will take a nap. Because I can.

Peace,

debgrant