My Life is Getting Smaller as I Get Older. . .But the Adventure ContinuesBIG CHANGES
There are a lot of things I can’t do anymore. I can’t drive at night because my night vision is affected by cataracts. I can’t climb ladders anymore without worrying that I will fall and break a body part. I can get down on the floor but I can’t get back up unless there is something handy to grab and use to pull myself into a standing position. I am discovering that I have lost some of my ability to do my own home repairs. I am in the process of fixing things in the bedroom and bathroom that I rent out as I slowly open myself to the possibility of finding a new housemate. It’s a lot of work both physically and mentally, but it is the kind of work I love to do. There is something very satisfying about seeing freshly grouted tile and installing a sparkly new toilet seat. I had to enlist the help of the daughter of one of my old housemates, however, to hang some new faux wood blinds. A few years ago I could have easily done it by myself but I realized that I am no longer capable of climbing onto a step ladder while simultaneously raising a 36-inch section of window blinds over my head. My friend’s daughter, Traci, and her boyfriend are both tall and they don’t even need a ladder to hang blinds. They can reach the top of the window and still remain firmly attached to the bedroom floor. WHEN YOU ARE SMALL EVERYTHING LOOKS BIG Traci was born while her Mom was my housemate. It’s hard to believe that the tiny baby I held in my arms just minutes after she arrived in the world is now nearly six feet tall. I feel lucky that I was able to be a part of her life and watch her transform into a beautiful, self confident woman. When she was in 5th grade, she and her mom lived with me a second time and the room where she was helping me with window coverings was her room. She was surprised that it looked smaller than she remembered. It’s the Christmas tree effect. When we are kids everything seems so big. The Christmas tree towers over us. I remember being disappointed that each year as I got bigger and bigger, the tree seemed to get smaller and smaller. It can be a bit strange when we start seeing things from an adult perspective. It’s an Alice in Wonderland world where our perception changes depending on how big we are. BIG ADVENTURES IN A SMALLER WORLD When we are young, the world spreads out before us offering unending possibilities. But now that I am half way through my seventies my world is getting smaller at a rapid pace. I can’t do the things that used to be easy for me. Some day I am going to have to stop driving, and that will really limit my ability to explore things in the way I did when I was young. One of the ironies of retiring is that I have a lot more time on my hands but I don’t have the energy or physical abilities to do all the things I might want to do. Yes, it is becoming a small world, but luckily my imagination is unlimited. I no longer feel the need to conquer the world and I am happily enjoying what I have right here at home. I find happiness and satisfaction in little things, like decorating my yard and preparing my home for a new housemate. I know this person will change my perspective and open up my world in ways I can’t even imagine, just like I never imagined that the tiny baby that came into my home 27 years ago would be helping me get ready for another new housemate adventure.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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(from an entry posted on 5/1/2015) “I definitely fit some of the characteristics of a little old lady with cats: Retired - check, Single - check, Like to knit - check, Have cats - check. . .I do not want to get stuck in my Little Old Lady persona, however. In fact, this blog is a risk taking experiment in exploring and redefining what I want my retired life to look like.” Categories
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