Give It A Rest

Here you are: retired at last and everything you worked for and lived for, is now. But there are some people who are not happy about that. They say they spent all those years giving more than what they were paid for, and need to "pay back". Pay-back to me is what you do when the tug-of-war has gone too far, you've lost, and you pay back that line, and hit the mud laughing. But that's irresponsible you say.  Not in my book. What I learned about pay-back is valuable. First, you've already paid. And if the pay-back pushes you too much, it's time to give it a rest. Once when I was still on the job, one of the retirees came back to hang around the coffee room and wallow in the welcome-homes. But that's a luxury for those still on the job. The individual, well regarded and liked, once risen well up in the business, felt he had something to offer and would return and set up a group to proffer his "valuable" advice. He volunteered to give them the gold of his wisdom. The group's  reception though polite, because methods had changed, turned out to be disastrous and it rather broke the poor man's heart. He needed to give it a rest.  When you are of an age, your mind is still keen and creative and sharp even though somewhat out-dated, but your aging body, in fact, is tired. It needs a rest and tells you in many ways. There are exceptions. I recall, years ago, attempting to climb a mountain with those who had much better ability than mine but I had a strong need to get to the top of that thing. Off we went and less than one hundred feet from the peak, my body just quit. My feet wouldn't take one more step and although my brain was not happy about it, I had to sit.  I  waved the others on. I had reached the peak of my mountain and it was either accept the fact and be happy or become boring and morose. We can't all reach that peak and go as far as our spirits tell us to, but we can get as far as we are able, with what we have. We're all different physically, but for some odd reason we all think we can reach the same "peaks". For example, the only running I can do now, is in my dreams. But I do have the time to meditate as long as I wish and to write and to read and interact with my fellows every day. Work and the achievement of visible goals is no longer necessary. I am already here. This is the place: today, next week, next year. My time. My peak.