I just finished reading the blog on “Everyday Asperger’s“. I follow it and it is a good one, in my opinion. Samantha has already become someone I know and understand, though we have never, actually met. Her post, today, dealt with a small piece she had written awhile ago and decided to share it with us. That small peek into her past, what she thought, how she felt, and what was really going on, gripped me nearly immediately and held on.
I love to write. Since resigning my teaching position, I have found that I do have some time to pursue my writing. Dad’s bout here in the hospital has slowed, but not stopped, that. There is a huge online market out there for writing, from free to paid to Stephen King land.
In a small way, I am published. I am, at least, shown online in 5 small (100 word each) short, horror stories at http://www.microhorror.com as Scott L Vannatter (in the author’s search). I enjoy that.
That brings me to today’s point: enjoying your life. I have spoken to a lot of people about their jobs, their lives, and their loves. I did have one person who did not answer my question when I asked him if he enjoyed his job. “It’s a job,” he answered. I pushed the inquiry and he, basically, said, “no”. That statement has helped shape my life. That and an article I read that spoke of how much time you spend at work or doing work things.
Think about it: 40 hours at the job, about 7 traveling, 7 dressing, 2 undressing, and a bit of it thinking. Not to mention, the sleep you lose or have to get because of the job. That’s 56 hours plus sleep/no sleep time. Most people are awake 16 hours a day. That’s 112 a week minus the 56 equals 56 hours, at most, left to enjoy and 32 of those are on your 2 days off!
I know we have to make money to survive. I worked long and hard most of my life for not nearly enough. When I wasn’t skimming by, I wasn’t enjoying my work.
My teaching was the first work I loved. That’s done now, but I get to say that I did what I loved for 5 years and the 6th was tough but rewarding. I rambled, but the point is, if you are not loving your job, if you drop into bed each and every night just to get up and go to the same job, if you have little to show for the job (especially something for/with your family), you are destroying yourself for something that will pass someday (maybe sooner than you think, like me) and you will, then, have to make a decision that you can spend time on now.
Think about it as life points, not money, not retirement, but now as life points. Do what it takes to enjoy this wonderful part of your life known as pre-retirement.
Namaste,
Scott
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