I had always worn a watch ever since I can remember. Didn’t matter if it was a simple, inexpensive watch. It was an indispensable accessory, a part of my dressing. Without it, I felt naked. It became even more of a necessity when I started working. It helped me keep tab of my morning wake-up time, commute, office lunches, meetings, deadlines and rush hours.
When I retired, I thought I didn’t have to wear my watch anymore everytime I leave the house, but I suffered from withdrawal symptoms; I therefore wore it on and off. Time came when I noticed I didn’t experience separation anxiety anymore. I finally can live without my watch, the little master who conducted my daily life but had now become dispensable.
Upon retirement, time became irrelevant to my daily existence. Oftentimes, I don’t remember what day it is--to tell, I go by a point of reference. For instance, there is a long queue at the supermarket so it must be Saturday or Sunday; if it is in the ATM machine, I assume it is Friday. Other times, I ask someone while walking down the street in my village what time or day it is. Or wait for the radio announcer to tell his listeners. I can tell it is time to get up from bed when the morning sun has risen and its warm rays penetrate my window; or it is time for supper when I hear the neighbor's car or kids coming home from work and school.
When I was working, the days before holidays and weekends were filled with great anticipation, and when those awaited days arrived, I sighed with relief and exhilaration. Nowadays, they don’t evoke such feelings anymore. Everyday is a Saturday. However, I noticed that time and days fly at the same speed in retirement like they did in pre-retirement. While a worker is concerned on completing the job for the day, I think of things to do with my day. I plan on doing a number of tasks but at the end of the day, I find I haven’t achieved my targets or I’ve only achieved them partially if at all. The only benefit I derived from this is that nobody complains, so I don’t feel bad, let alone guilty. I have officially become a loafer.
It is ironic that an employee is awarded a gold expensive watch for working that long in the company just when time doesn’t matter that much anymore. Nevertheless, I guess it will come in handy when money runs short.
Quote for today:
“Retirement is wonderful. It is doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it."
- Gene Perret, humorist
When I retired, I thought I didn’t have to wear my watch anymore everytime I leave the house, but I suffered from withdrawal symptoms; I therefore wore it on and off. Time came when I noticed I didn’t experience separation anxiety anymore. I finally can live without my watch, the little master who conducted my daily life but had now become dispensable.
Upon retirement, time became irrelevant to my daily existence. Oftentimes, I don’t remember what day it is--to tell, I go by a point of reference. For instance, there is a long queue at the supermarket so it must be Saturday or Sunday; if it is in the ATM machine, I assume it is Friday. Other times, I ask someone while walking down the street in my village what time or day it is. Or wait for the radio announcer to tell his listeners. I can tell it is time to get up from bed when the morning sun has risen and its warm rays penetrate my window; or it is time for supper when I hear the neighbor's car or kids coming home from work and school.
When I was working, the days before holidays and weekends were filled with great anticipation, and when those awaited days arrived, I sighed with relief and exhilaration. Nowadays, they don’t evoke such feelings anymore. Everyday is a Saturday. However, I noticed that time and days fly at the same speed in retirement like they did in pre-retirement. While a worker is concerned on completing the job for the day, I think of things to do with my day. I plan on doing a number of tasks but at the end of the day, I find I haven’t achieved my targets or I’ve only achieved them partially if at all. The only benefit I derived from this is that nobody complains, so I don’t feel bad, let alone guilty. I have officially become a loafer.
It is ironic that an employee is awarded a gold expensive watch for working that long in the company just when time doesn’t matter that much anymore. Nevertheless, I guess it will come in handy when money runs short.
Quote for today:
“Retirement is wonderful. It is doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it."
- Gene Perret, humorist
