Recovering in Retirement

 

In my first month of retirement I’ve concentrated on recovering from abdominal surgery that I underwent days after pulling the plug at work. Fortunately the four-hour operation was accomplished laparoscopically and my recovery has been progressing swiftly, especially compared with last year’s ordeal.

Recovering during retirement means no pressure to return to work. I luxuriate in rising more than an hour later than I used to and lingering over my mug of coffee. I have the time to check Facebook and read the paper, such as it is. I putter about the house taking care of sundry tasks, lavishly interlacing this with periods of simply looking out the window from my favorite chair. I cut flowers from my yard every few days to keep the house alive and fresh with nature. I take my turn planning and cooking dinners.

I did not expect to miss work and for the most part I don’t. But I have begun to pine for intellectual stimulation. Grist for my intellectual mill used to be handed up to me morning and afternoon. I did not have to exert any effort to get it. Now I struggle to find ways to vivify my intelligence. Mere mystery novels don’t cut it.

Given my need to recover I have not done much writing. Next month I will participate in a writing workshop taught by an award-winning author of creative nonfiction (my genre). I view that weekend as the portal to the garden of more writing.

Meanwhile, I snuggle into catnaps. I remember my napping dreams better than my nighttime dreams, and I now have uncluttered moments to ponder them. From that level of existence, things are as they should be and all is well.