2000-11-21 - 18:12 MST

November 21, 2000

Retired

Four wheels with new rubber and nowhere to go ? Sounds like retirement.

Now life holds a variety of choices of how to spend my time. Time to do as I once dreamed of being able to do -- slowing down, backpeddling to take another look and think about things. Away from he bustle and hubris and in a modicum of silence there is time to build the Lego tower representing my life and interconnection with others. Gives me a better understanding of my self in relation to the rest of the world.

Retirement allows a man to sift and sort the treasures gathered along on his trip to the present, set them up in proper order, polish them a bit and then present to your grands the tale of, "How it was way back then."

Then too, some of the bad times of the past get thought about and brought into the proper perspective. I am thinking about the time we came back to Denver in 1960. Looking back now I realize that Dad and his wife were probably pretty heavily into alcoholic consumption. Which probably had a lot to do with his paranoia. Their house was burglarized while they were gone some where. The thief got away with a goodly amount of stamps and coins (collector's items). I don't know if his wife pushed the thought that maybe this guy in my shoes got away with the valuables. He called me up and accused me of keeping a door key for twenty years and robbing his house on the sly. I tried to talk to him diplomatically and calmly. I told him I would be home for the next four hours and to send the cops over. I did have a few inexpensive coins and stamps I had collected over the years, and after four hours I took my collection to his house and slammed it onto the floor and told him that was all I had and had none of his stuff and then stomped out and drove off in purple and green striped huff, with pink polka dots and I am not sure of just what the polka dots were decorating.

Almost five years passed and Heather, who had been worrying about the split between Dad and I managed somehow to bring us together in peace. It took hard work and devious methods for her to accomplish this difficult task as I had been so badly hurt by his accusation that I had cut all ties with him.

It has never been made clear to me just how she accomplished it, but when Dad and I were in front of each other we embraced and we were family again.

Heather, my beloved Heather had healed a rift that went to the very center of the earth and made it seem as if it had never been.

Blessed be the peacemakers, 'cause it sure is a hell of a job with no thanks for pay.

I have been mulling this over today and danged if I can understand yet just how she did it, but I am forever grateful that she did.

Maybe this spare time to cogitate was well taken up to bring a better, thoughtful understanding of myself and my Dad. I do know that he and his wife quit alcohol and cigarettes prior to the time Heather put her neck on the chopping block.

Time to relax, and remember with love the good things no longer here, and give them a quick rub with the polishing cloth.

I maybe have slowed down a bit, but it has not been a waste of time, being retired . . . . . . .

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