Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Retirement Is

Aloha, FRIEND!
Thanks for "Retiring"
Here



Click on the photos :)

“You have been warned

against letting the golden hours slip by.


Yes, but some of them are golden

only because we let them slip by.”


James Matthew Barrie








"If we opened our minds to enjoyment,

we might find tranquil pleasures spread about us on every side.

We might live with the angels that visit us on every sunbeam,

and sit with the fairies who wait on every flower."



Samuel Smiles





What is Retirement?




Is it the absence of work?


Some folks work harder in "retirement" than ever before:


on a mission, a garden, care-giving, creativity,

to remain involved with others, or to make ends meet;


But they still call it "retirement."

Maybe they use the "semi-"



I think retirement means to retire in some fundamental way

from life's worry & striving.

We recognize at last the pure unearned gift of being alive

amidst massive beauty and complexity.

The image (mirage, for some) of Golden Retirement reflects the

fullness of wisdom,
the sun at Golden Hour,


past the age of "proving,"





What is past, too, is the illusion of endless tomorrows.

Days are no longer pulled cheaply from a warehouse,

but each is parsed and petted as the unique jewel it is;


Comforting is their regularity:


Dawn, Noon, Long After-noon, Dusk & Blue Velvet.




Our contra-dancing days stir up the Earth floor

in marvelous sensuality.



Thanks for dancing by here :)



april

25 comments:

  1. The James Matthew Barrie quote is thought provoking.

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  2. Thanks for being such prime "retirement" real estate where we can retire to dance on the beach. The sunset photo is gorgeous, and I liked the Barrie quote a lot.

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  3. I agree with everything you've said about retirement! It's wonderful. :)

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  4. retirement?
    I want to see it solely as 'retirement from paid employment', not retirement from anything else, certainly not from living, learning, experiencing, giving, taking and, most of all, loving.
    Aloha Cloudia!

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  5. I rather wish I could retire while I'm still young enough to throw myself in my other job, writing.

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  6. Beautiful, provocative thoughts Cloudia. Retire from society's demands, but never from a full, creative, loving life!

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  7. As always inspiring thought provoking quotes .. and that little girl in her Crocs and tutu is adorable

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  8. Your blog always makes us feel warm and fuzzy! Thank you!

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  9. Retirement from life's worries...oh that would be fun !Lovely post .Aloha Cloudia !

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  10. ::::::::: dancing by:::::::::: and with bells on my toes!

    Greetings from Massachusetts!

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  11. I know I retired to the wrong place which means we will be moving again this fall and maybe actually enjoy being retired.
    Hawaii would be great but there is no way we could make the move that far :)

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  12. One of my best friends daughter just announced she is moving to Hawaii with her boyfriend so maybe my wife and I will take a trip with our friend to visit her daughter.

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  13. love the scooter,
    my boys used to do it and have so much fun..
    Happy Tuesday!

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  14. I sure would love to try the retirement thing!
    <><

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  15. A little sweetie in her dancer's dress and lei, wearing crocs and riding a scooter. How cute is that!

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  16. Retirement, to me, means being wheeled into the day room to watch "Murder, She Wrote" on a broken television with no sound while gumming cheetohs to death and realizing I forgot my Depends.

    But I've always been kind of a Pollyanna.

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  17. Hi there from NY Cloudia!

    My husband just retired last year and we are both loving it! We can't figure out how we had time to work!

    Love all your quotes!!
    Jeanne

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  18. Ah, the golden hours.

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  19. I was less tired working 14-16 hour shifts--but this is "MY" re- TIRED so it feels entirely different. I think it's the mental tired that work brings that's gone!!!!!!

    I LOVE the ON GOLDEN POND pic! I can never seem to catch those elusive RAYS!!!

    GREAT GREAT STUFF GAL,

    John

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    visit for awards on my blogger account.

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