Approval Rating

Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.

Lillie Langtry
******************
One of the trickiest things about retirement and agedness is the tendency to hold on to a needless sense of responsibility. Just because I can take care of something doesn't mean I have to, especially if there are younger people around with more energy, mobility and resources to take care of it.

It isn't a matter of shirking my responsibility. If I am the only one who is available to do something than naturally I will attempt to do it. But all my life I have been one to try to take charge of circumstances, devise plans to accomplish things and carry them out. Sometimes my attempts have been futile, sometimes not. But lately I've discovered that there are people who can do things that I can do and sometimes do them better. I've come to the point where I'm willing to get out of the way and let them take on the tasks.

One of my motives in the past has been to earn love, in the forms of encouragement, approval and congratulations. But in the overall cosmic scheme of things the only and best approval I can have is from myself.

I didn't retire to stop working. So now I work in my apartment instead of on a stage. It won't matter if one of my paintings does not show up in the Museum of Modern Art or if one of my stories does not win a Pulitzer Prize. It would be very nice. But my time is coming to be spent with the sunshine, the fresh air, listening to the birds and seeing the earth grow up around me.

That I approve of my work and my work approves of me is more necessary than anything else for a contented spirit.

DB
====================
SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)

In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.

Only 7 responses so far.

Answers will be published the first day of Summer.

Thank you.

dbdacoba@aol.com

DB - The Vagabond
*******************