Peanuts In My Pocket

Way back in 1979, I had the best summer of my life. I spent a lot of time surfing, met my future wife, and fell in love. I had an easy job that paid well, and I was done with high school. I remember it as a dreamlike time of fun, low responsibilities, and my first steps away from my family. It’s a benchmark summer. I’ve had many good summers since, but never three solid months off, as I started working full-time that same year. Summer became hot commutes with brief but memorable vacations.

The summer of 2024 will be remembered as one of my best. Several things changed for me. I retired late last year, which made this summer possible. I lost 70 pounds, which made disc golf fun again. I agreed to watch my grandson, so I was able to build a stronger relationship and create fun memories with him. I worked with my sister on my mom’s estate, and through that experience, nurtured a much closer relationship with her. I reestablished connections with several old friends and made several new friends too. And most importantly, I feel like I’m reliving the joy of falling in love with my wife all over again.

It’s funny what you forget along the way. Work pays the bills, but the experiences and relationships are what stay with you. I remember a trip to Japan in the 80s far more than anything I worked on at the time. Or, one beautiful family vacation in Arizona around 1990. We watched the sunrise from a mountain peak and explored a huge cavern. It was magic. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a manager by this time in my professional life, but I’m challenged to remember who I worked with, let alone what I worked on.

My ability to enjoy a good vacation got better over time. We camped, traveled abroad and across America, cruised the oceans, and visited exotic locations. Heck, we did just about everything one could want. But work was a constant drain all the while. Later in life, work traveled with me via a cell phone and a laptop. Disconnecting became something I dreamed about. All I wanted was to leave my phone at home and experience life with my wife and family, but it almost never happened. I got my wish this summer, and it was magical.

In a few weeks, I will have been married for 44 years. In discussing a possible celebration with my lovely partner Florence, we agreed on no gifts, on her taking a day off and spending our day together, and most importantly, a good piece of prime rib in the evening to celebrate our anniversary. What we value most of all is our time together. What I value most is her.

So, my first summer as a retired person is going into the books as a win. I think my first autumn will be a win as well. I like this phase of my life. I like it much more than I ever would have thought. And what I miss most about working is vacation.