THOUGHTS OF A RETIRED GENTLEMAN
A time to think, a time to plan, I had thought to myself. I had achieved my objective I am retired at last; a life’s plan completed. I have no need to work with the usual 9am-5pm routine, my daily routines will be of my own choosing.
The decision that I have made to stay where I am with my friends and neighbours is a good one. It would too much manoeuvring to move somewhere else and I have avoided the necessity of all the associated planning and thinking. I will definitely plan a few holidays to the Lake District, the Clees and some trips to the seaside. I do not have a lot of money but sufficient to be comfortable. I had paid for my pension with the contributions I had made and had saved some money as well.
I will continue to join in local activities and keep as active as possible and start some new hobbies.
I have thought a great deal about the life that I had led. I have enjoyed being alive despite the ups and downs. I have done many things involving helping others and helping myself. I have done my stint in many ways. The effort I put in was duly rewarded in terms of cash; it could have been more, but what I valued was the mutual respect of my workmates and friends. I thought sometimes it wouldn’t have mattered whether I’d been there or not but that was not true, without me the work would not have been done and the consequent benefit to others would not have existed. I have had many adventures and seen many parts of the world, being constantly reminded of the magnificence of the planet on which we live and the universe of which our planet is a part.
My wife dying a short while ago is taking sometime to adjust to but as a friend said I must always think of the happy times that I enjoyed in her company and the understanding that she gave.
I have often thought about life after death and now I have concluded that her contribution lives on stored in the memory of those that she knew and in a very special way those that she perhaps hardly noticed at all; all the passers-by to whom she had smiled and nodded her head.
It is true, as I gave myself time to think, that there are thousands of people that have known me whilst alive and yet not said a word, just a nod and the wink of an eye. Each moment a change in the whole, without me the world would have been a less happy place. All that I have done, the understanding that I have given stored in the memory of others. There could be someone somewhere on planet earth who for some reason thought of me today and as a result was happier than before and its true that that will continue long after I am dead. Knowing that now I will travel as planned and tell other people what I now know.
I do not know how long I will live. I want to die of natural causes; no burden to others. Perhaps I’ll to live to a hundred, who knows, but what matters, because I know what I know today, is that each day alive I will try to convey to others that which I have learnt that day. Learning from each other is exactly what we do and that that I teach lives on stored in the memory of others; a belief that I believe applies to everyone.
I could call that reality that I have just described a Kingdom but a kingdom has a king what matters is that I know that that reality does exist it is not owned by anyone it is part of ourselves and I know that we can all discover that it does exist. The same reality has been called everlasting life or God’s kingdom. It is unlikely that my understanding will exist forever stored in the memory of the human species but maybe it is quite possible that certain understanding does do. That from which I came, a part of myself, and a part of all others, including all living things, namely that that designed and heals all living things, was called God. It is that that is everlasting, transcending the life span of this planet.
As I sit and relax by myself, enjoying musing about my life ahead, I realise that although I will miss my wife not being alive I have learnt from the tragedy of her death and all that I have just thought is true for me and that I am going to enjoy the new life I have planned.
©G.Myerscough 2015
A time to think, a time to plan, I had thought to myself. I had achieved my objective I am retired at last; a life’s plan completed. I have no need to work with the usual 9am-5pm routine, my daily routines will be of my own choosing.
The decision that I have made to stay where I am with my friends and neighbours is a good one. It would too much manoeuvring to move somewhere else and I have avoided the necessity of all the associated planning and thinking. I will definitely plan a few holidays to the Lake District, the Clees and some trips to the seaside. I do not have a lot of money but sufficient to be comfortable. I had paid for my pension with the contributions I had made and had saved some money as well.
I will continue to join in local activities and keep as active as possible and start some new hobbies.
I have thought a great deal about the life that I had led. I have enjoyed being alive despite the ups and downs. I have done many things involving helping others and helping myself. I have done my stint in many ways. The effort I put in was duly rewarded in terms of cash; it could have been more, but what I valued was the mutual respect of my workmates and friends. I thought sometimes it wouldn’t have mattered whether I’d been there or not but that was not true, without me the work would not have been done and the consequent benefit to others would not have existed. I have had many adventures and seen many parts of the world, being constantly reminded of the magnificence of the planet on which we live and the universe of which our planet is a part.
My wife dying a short while ago is taking sometime to adjust to but as a friend said I must always think of the happy times that I enjoyed in her company and the understanding that she gave.
I have often thought about life after death and now I have concluded that her contribution lives on stored in the memory of those that she knew and in a very special way those that she perhaps hardly noticed at all; all the passers-by to whom she had smiled and nodded her head.
It is true, as I gave myself time to think, that there are thousands of people that have known me whilst alive and yet not said a word, just a nod and the wink of an eye. Each moment a change in the whole, without me the world would have been a less happy place. All that I have done, the understanding that I have given stored in the memory of others. There could be someone somewhere on planet earth who for some reason thought of me today and as a result was happier than before and its true that that will continue long after I am dead. Knowing that now I will travel as planned and tell other people what I now know.
I do not know how long I will live. I want to die of natural causes; no burden to others. Perhaps I’ll to live to a hundred, who knows, but what matters, because I know what I know today, is that each day alive I will try to convey to others that which I have learnt that day. Learning from each other is exactly what we do and that that I teach lives on stored in the memory of others; a belief that I believe applies to everyone.
I could call that reality that I have just described a Kingdom but a kingdom has a king what matters is that I know that that reality does exist it is not owned by anyone it is part of ourselves and I know that we can all discover that it does exist. The same reality has been called everlasting life or God’s kingdom. It is unlikely that my understanding will exist forever stored in the memory of the human species but maybe it is quite possible that certain understanding does do. That from which I came, a part of myself, and a part of all others, including all living things, namely that that designed and heals all living things, was called God. It is that that is everlasting, transcending the life span of this planet.
As I sit and relax by myself, enjoying musing about my life ahead, I realise that although I will miss my wife not being alive I have learnt from the tragedy of her death and all that I have just thought is true for me and that I am going to enjoy the new life I have planned.
©G.Myerscough 2015