No More Time Clock for Mom!!

On December 31, 2013 my mother punched the time clock for her very last time; officially retired. Of course, when she started working the time clock looked completely different from the one pictured here.  Only my imagination can produce images of the time clock she first punched many years ago.  I am very excited that after 25 years of wage slavery my mother is finally free. (Massa got me workin')  I can’t believe she finally made it! I am very happy and excited for my mother to reach this stage of her life.  What new things will she discover?  How many ideas, thoughts, and adventures were pushed aside throughout the years of her working life?  How could she possible occupy the free time that will now fill all of her days?

Don't worry, I have given her a very large and distinguished to-do list.  At the very top of that list is the most important thing that all of us must do immediately once we have the free time - organize the sock drawer.
I find unlimited free time hard to think about.  It's very hard for me to think of what it would be like to wake up in the morning and not get ready for work 5 days a week.  What would I do with my self?  How long would it take me to finish the list of things that need to be done before I get completely bored?  How many days could I spend reading a book?  Hiking? Biking, etc?  So often I run into retired people who have taken new jobs, or even return to their old job part time just to fill the time and earn some extra beer money.  I think one of the first things I would do is find some places to volunteer, like the Humane Society.

Actually, I sent my mother a date book filled with ideas.  For the first two weeks I wrote things like: no work, no work, rest day, day off, day off, day off, no work... organize the sock drawer... 7 am staff meeting/no wait, no work!   Throughout the book I gave weekly suggestions, on Mondays, of fun and creative things to do like; go to the library, start a journal, visit some old friends, write a bucket list, etc.  On Tuesdays I wrote that she should go to the beach on each and every week.

Whatever she does I glad that she is finally retired and able to enjoy her life to the fullest without any interruptions!!