Dave didn’t like being retired. It made him feel restless, scattered, and bored. The days went by, one after another, and he lost track of time. He sometimes missed appointments because he was certain it wasn’t the day he was supposed to go—but then it turned out that it was…
He missed the activity of work. He missed the conviction that he was doing something at least useful. His job hadn’t been of national importance, but it gave him a feeling of purpose. Mostly, though, it had given him something to do.
After spending far too much time doing a lot of nothing, he started to get involved with the internet, with politics; that helped because it gave him activities and interest. Dave soon found himself online more and more, absorbing national and international news. There was ALWAYS more news, so he was always busy. He became involved in social media and posted his thoughts and opinions on what was happening in the world. That gave him a sort of sense of purpose for a while. He felt that, maybe, his insights made a difference. Mostly, though, it gave him something to do.
This went on for quite a while--until one day, Dave sat back and admitted to himself how hollow it all felt. His online involvement, his posts and quotes and opinions, really made no difference to the state of the world. Things just seemed to be getting worse. What did it matter if some people liked what he said or posted? Was he doing anything of real value? Being a truthful kind of guy, he told himself, “no”. It was really just passing time in order to occupy his mind. There had to be something he could do that would be of value—but what? He was smart, he was resourceful, he could problem-solve effectively. There had to be something. In this no-man’s-land of retirement, however, he was at a loss.
____________________________________________________________Copyright 2023 Mary M. IsaacsTo continue reading, see the newly published collection The Least of These(as featured on the sidebar)