In just a few months I will reach the four year anniversary of my disability retirement. People often ask me what it is I do all day while Kim is at work.
Where do I begin?
I am blessed with a curious mind, and some tools with which to exercise it. Throughout the day I rotate my attention between my LED-LCD TV, my iPad Mini, and my laptop computer. In good weather, which I haven’t seen for a few months, I also get outside and enjoy my wonderful neighborhood while Kim busts her ass trying to mold the minds of middle school children.
I also take my share of time for rest and relaxation. My wheelchair reclines so that I can make myself comfortable for a nap on very short notice. At times, I lament the fact that I am no longer a productive member of society in the traditional sense, but nevertheless I still find my life to be meaningful and, to a large extent, enjoyable.
Although I have a wide variety of interests which I pursue during the day, I do a pretty good job of not pressuring myself into getting anything in particular accomplished unless absolutely necessary. For a healthy person, this would not be an admirable trait. For a person with a chronic, disabling disease, which stress only exacerbates, it’s a wonderful thing.
My most demanding obligation is usually publishing a weekly blog post.
So I will begin a series of posts over the next year or so, sprinkled among posts on other subjects, where I describe what it is that I do to pass the time while Kim is at work. I’ll try not to bore you with minutia.
The first such post will be tomorrow, if I get around to it.
I know. You’re all jealous. Not everyone can lead as exciting a life as I do!
Nice picture of the pets keeping you in one spot. How can you be expected to do anything when you'd have to up-end the furry mammals to do so?
When I was about to leave my career to become disabled someone asked me "So what are you going to do? Sit on the couch and play Xbox all day?"
Man – that has stuck with me.
I've been trying to strike a balance between being useful with being sick. Some days are better than others as with anyone. I've come up with a system that I still tweak to this day. Not sure if it works to get me to do more or feel better. Seems to put my mind at peace about the "sitting on the couch and playing Xbox" all day.
Lastly – I look forward to your posts and smile when a new one pops up in my RSS reader. Thanks for sharing.
Mitch, I always look forward to your posts and anticipate that your daily life minutia will be entertaining to read. It certainly can't be any more boring than my life.
Darren,
I remember when we first met online a few years ago. We had an email discussion (I think spreadsheets were exchanged) about our systems for managing our newfound spare time. I remember being very impressed with your approach. You'll find my system is much less detailed. I basically have a list of a dozen or so common activities, and I go wherever my whim for the day takes me. What it is that I do on any particular day, or even from moment to moment, is not so much a conscious decision, as a decision made by my subconscious, based on who knows what. We could get into the entire "what is free will" discussion on this subject!
Webster,
I'll do my best to entertain!
great post, great topic. when i first left work (due to MS-related fatigue) i thought of all the things i could do with my time. i was still walking at that point. now, five years home, i struggle to feel useful. despite a few little hobbies, i often feel bored, and very often feel useless. or that what i'm doing isn't "important." i appreciate your insights.
Mitch, I'll be lurking to see if you come up with anything to do that I haven't thought of. Maybe I'm just easily entertained, but there's a whole Internet out there! How could I be bored? Seems like I pull up to my desk in the morning, and all of a sudden it's time for dinner. Already?
Who is that vying with Phoebe for room on the revolutionary new owner-based pet bed????
wonlife,
I hope that my upcoming posts will give you some ideas on how to alleviate your boredom.
ZD,
I also feel fortunate to be able to wonder "how did I ever have time to work?"
Ginny,
That is Allie (cat).