So, I've been retired for just about two months now and I'm getting quite used to living without an alarm clock. I come and go as I please, as they say. It's kind of amazing how you can fill your days with things that aren't work or actually job related. You can really start to forget a lot of the trappings of what was once your work life. I don't know how others make this transition to the retired life but for me, I sometimes wonder how I found the time to go to work.
I've been filling my days with a lot of different activities. A lot of things are getting done around the house. A lot of long walks have taken place, a lot of them. I've even tried a little hiking in New Hampshire's White Mountains without a huge amount of success, a story for another time maybe. I have gotten reacquainted with old friends, other retirees who also have the time to do as they please. One thing I haven't been doing is keeping myself as informed as probably should.
Way back when I was a working man, the department I worked in had someone who always picked up a copy of the local newspaper. Break time was my time to sit down with a cup of coffee and catch up. Police logs are always interesting in local newspapers. You get a good appreciation for the many calls the local police departments deal with on a regular basis. The number of calls they get from people who can't find their keys, for instance. Or, the lady who often sees men on boats, in the harbor. Or, the crime wave in one township of a number of houses having cook books being thrown onto a porch or deck.
The other pastime the papers were good for was obituaries. I had one lady in the department who would check the obits, make sure she wasn't in there and declare, "Well, I guess I have to go back to work". However, it was useful in the event that you did see someone you knew and find out if you had to prepare for wake later that night.
And, that leads me to the purpose of this essay. Since retiring I have been remiss in keeping abreast of the local news. I've not read a local newspaper for two months. I get a Boston Globe each Sunday, I glance at the headlines, I check the sports page and then look at the TV listings to plan my evening, but that's it. So, I've missed reports of car keys that may have been found or of any new recipes have caught on locally. I have also missed out seeing the obituaries which can be a bad thing.
Recently, a friend whom I've known since childhood lost his remaining parent. Years ago, we lived across the street from each other. We played the neighborhood together, went to school together, we were close back then. My parents were friends with his parents and even when my family left the neighborhood we all remained friendly over the years. I didn't see the obituary for his father and I missed a chance to go and pay my respects. I feel bad about that.
Coincidently, last week I ended up having breakfast with my friend just days after his father's funeral. Oddly enough, nothing was said about his loss and I still had no idea. We parted and planned to get together again. It was later that day that I found out about his father's passing.
I have since called my friend and gave him my condolences and apologies. Of course, he said there were no apologies needed but, I knew there were. I recalled how he was present when I lost each of my parents.
So, now I've added checking local newspapers to my routine in retirement. Believe me, those police logs are worth it.
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