RETIREMENT
It is a time of life that has a definite beginning, say at the age of 65 years or so, but the end, though definite is a mystery in some ways, and also the timing is in the hands of somebody else. Hence in someways it gives an urgency to the time period that is at hand.
As regards to relating it to today's world, the best comparison would be to a Television. It is like changing the channels while watching different channels on the Television. The power has to be switched on, comparative to the time when you begin retirement. It is a time when old responsibilities, old baggage is cast off and a new channel is begun, as by flicking the power button. The picture becomes clearer, however, it might stop at a channel that you may not wish it to be. At what station you stop is what you choose, as, in your own life, and, of course, what it is that interests you most. As your income is now limited, you depend on your past earnings as well as the little government handouts that you receive until you die. However, you could be hard pressed to believe that even though the government owns billions of dollars in the pension plan, they threat constantly that the money is going to run out. This at times is a ruse to divert the money to other projects, or to even their own salaries. They are the pilgrims that are ever thirsty, but not for water.
Let us see the channels that you may choose, and you may hold to some much longer than other channels as per your choice.
As you flip channels, you tend also to get bored. You reminisce about the past and feel how good the past used to be, and however you came to this kind of dreary living. This can be very depressing. You get easily bored, but if you remember the dictum is that if you are bored, the fact is that you yourself are boring, and must do something immediately that will pull you out from this abyss.
But, as you flip to a new channel, you realize that you are on the dawn of a new era. The sun is rising in the horizon. It is an invitation to shed off your clothes and be ready to sunbathe. Be ready to see a brand new movie that can even surpass Avatar, so to speak. It is a gift, a challenge, but as the time is limited, it behooves you to make maximum use of this lady who tells you to warm up before it is too late.
The amazing thing in this scene is that, you, who has the control in his hand, is also the actor in this television drama. You are given a free hand to play any scene that you wish to play but with just a few conditions. The conditions are obvious, and relate to your finances, the country you live in, your hobbies and the limit placed to the hobbies, once again, by your abilities and your finances. Hence unlike a television, you are also the player and in fact the boobtube is outmoded here and is nowhere near to the glory of the incoming shiny horizon that awaits you.
Let us see if we can channel these energies that you have, and direct these energies to some particular and fruitful channels.
What are the channels that the flow of your river will go through- even though starting as a slow and gentle stream, but, when you are all done, it might have been a full life, a personality that might have cared, cared for the family, for your friends, for your neighbors, your country where you live, but also ever mindful of the country you came from, and even your very original country, that you have cared for this blue globe, the globe that is unique in this universe, and ever mindful that despite all of it, it is a global village whereby your neighbor next door to you means more than people far far away, of a tribe that you once belonged, and realizing that you are nothing but a caretaker that has existed on this earth only for a while.
In this play, besides you being the main player, that, if you compare it to a masterful symphony, you are the conductor. The musicians- the players on the piano, violin, viola, trombone, drums, carolyn bells, cymbals and what have you are in fact eagerly waiting to get direction from you. They will follow your masterly act, and follow with some humility, all your gestures etc. The players of course are members of your family, friends etc. The soloist may be your wife or a close member of the family. Under that person's direction, the whole orchestra moves.
When the symphony ends, and the music stops, there is thunderous clapping as one and all are applauding your wondrous direction and the very way in which you lived, and died at the end. Yet, you are not dead, as in your genes,you will see on the smiling faces of your children and your children's children, and the symphony they will also embark into and even play it out, passing on the baton to a younger member as they will also follow onto the same path that you followed, but, made the road a little firmer, a little clearer, and left signposts where danger may be lurking around the corner.
When all is done, you will be welcome with the joyous words like 'Welcome, my son. Well done.'
