It’s garbage day again! Is it my imagination or is time speeding up? Suddenly another week has gone by and I can’t recall what I did for the last seven days. It’s a blur. Time passed too quickly. What is affecting my perception of time and is there anything I can do to slow it… Continue reading Time Flies, But Can It Walk?
Tag: retired
Retiring The Excuse
It’s a lot harder to say NO these days. I used to have a ready excuse for not wanting to do something: “Sorry, I’m so busy with work.” It was a legitimate reason. I was often extremely busy and had difficulty balancing any added commitments. But if I’m honest, it was also a handy excuse.… Continue reading Retiring The Excuse
Brain Foggy November
Lately, the fog seems to roll in mid-afternoon and stay for the rest of the day. My will to focus and plan clouds over, and I settle for doing repetitive tasks that take little concentration. I want to expand my window of energy, or at least, re-charge it when it flags. I have things to… Continue reading Brain Foggy November
Righting My Life/Work Balance
It is wonderful to be retired. I’m not going to lie. I love having the flexibility in my day to take care of my own needs for exercise, daylight, writing, nutrition, hydration and social interaction. I’m no longer trying to wedge self-care into a bulging work schedule of teaching, planning, marking, reports and paperwork. But… Continue reading Righting My Life/Work Balance
Learning What You Don’t Know: step two in the process
According to psychology, there are four steps to acquiring mastery over a new set of skills.* At first, you don’t know what you don’t know: ignorance is bliss. But then the thorny second stage begins, and there’s a wave of overwhelm as you realize just how much you don’t know. I’m in this stage now… Continue reading Learning What You Don’t Know: step two in the process
“How Are You Doing?”
We all need the words. With accurate words we can clearly communicate our experiences to others, find others who share our experience, and have others understand what we’re going through. Rarely has, “I’m fine,” in response to, “How are you doing?” transmitted any useful information. Is it time to banish these banal responses? Word Jail.… Continue reading “How Are You Doing?”
“Common” Knowledge: Ok Boomer
It’s embarrassing to admit it, but for a long time I struggled with opening jars, and taps, and anything that involved turning to open. It wasn’t that the jars were too tightly closed (although that can happen these days). It was the direction I needed to turn the lid. It was so useful when I… Continue reading “Common” Knowledge: Ok Boomer
Invisible Woman Syndrome And The Right To Be Seen
At a certain point in my thirties, I think it was around the time I became a parent, I also discovered I was becoming invisible. It started when I ceased being referred to by my name and became someone’s mom. Then over time, store clerks stopped noticing that I was the next one in line.… Continue reading Invisible Woman Syndrome And The Right To Be Seen
Spread The Recognition
At this time of year, it’s understandable to feel low and unmotivated. It’s getting a lot colder outside. The daylight hours are shrinking and cozy blankets are calling me to hibernate on the couch. At least, I thought that might be my problem when I couldn’t drum up the energy to write. The Cure. I… Continue reading Spread The Recognition
Getting Familiar With Discomfort
I didn’t realize how important discomfort would be during my journey from retired teacher to something else. I knew there would be challenges and change but I didn’t understand how essential it would be to accept not feeling comfortable, to realize that it’s a good thing. The Familiar Is Comfortable. My automatic reaction to discomfort… Continue reading Getting Familiar With Discomfort
Retired, And Now What? 