Free Time???

Finally realized I can give my posts a title and just did so. This most likely means (at least I hope so) that you are wondering why I would have three question marks after the title. I guess it's because I believe that many people have incorrect assumptions about the life of a retired person...and, that would include my own incorrect assumptions.


This was really brought to my attention by my young (11 yo) honorary grandchild. He asked me if I would participate in a fifth grade class project to which I agreed. At the end of the project, both students and grandparents were invited to tea. During the tea, he talked about his grandpa and I inquired as to why he hadn't invited his grandpa to participate. Following aren't his exact words, but close:


        "My grandpa works and he's really busy all the time, and well, you have a lot of free time."


My response to him was that my time wasn't free and that I charged. He got this worried look on his face and when I asked if he wanted to know what I charged, his response was a yes. I told him I charged a lot...lots of hugs and kisses.


Later, after lots of hugs and kisses, I got to thinking about our exchange. And, yes, it's true to a degree that I do have lots of free time, but that doesn't mean that I am not busy. I am always doing something, but being retired, I have the blessing of being able to adjust my schedule in such a way that I am able to participate in events or plans that are important to me...just as his project and tea were important to me.


What I also realized was that I, myself, had been thinking that I had a lot of free time. I need to eliminate these thoughts from my head. True, I hope to be around for many more years, but you never really know do you. There are still lots of projects I want to begin and finish, places I want to visit, people I want to spend time with, etc. Thinking I have a lot of free time has allowed me to put off some of these.


When I retired two years ago, I planned to inventory everything in the house. This included taking a picture of each item, uploading it into a document and providing an explanation as to what each item meant, where it came from or from whom it was acquired. To date, I have taken photographs of almost everything except the new items I simply couldn't live without...really, how could I possibly pass up another Murano glass bird with sticker when Goodwill only wanted seven bucks for it? I've even uploaded some of these pictures into a Word document and provided the explanation. Some pages have even been printed out, but I am far from being able to cross this project off my list.


How about scanning all the shoeboxes of old pre-digital photographs, uploading into a document and identifying the people shown. The shoeboxes remain in the hall closet...not once have I pulled even the first box out to see what I have. Not only that, but I haven't paid a lot of attention to the scan capability of my printer. Yes, I've used it now and again, but not often enough to know what I'm doing. Each time I use it, I have to look up the instructions...again.


There are additional projects I actually figured I'd have completed by now. Unfortunately, enjoying all my "free" time doing stuff I really like as opposed to stuff that would be a chore, has  prevented me from shortening my list. A friend told me when she heard about my retirement plans to not be surprised if I didn't complete my list. Now I'm wondering if she was talking about how my "free" time would usurp my plans.


How about you? Did you have a multitude of projects, places, people, goals that you were sure you would complete? If so, do you have any secrets to share?