Political Storm
I think I’ve really settled into this retirement thing. Granted, I’ve been at it for a while, and my wife’s illness and death threw a kink in the works, but life seems to have evened out. I write in the morning, run errands, and do yard work. Take yesterday. I wrote. Went and got a haircut. Had my oil changed. Stopped for lunch. Talked to a friend on the phone. Came home. Cleaned the pool. Watered a few plants. Took a walk. Talked to my oldest son on the phone. Ate a light dinner. In the end it felt like a successful day. A nice older man’s day.
I think I even got eight hours of sleep, but I’ve stopped measuring. I feel really comfortable with my sleep patterns these days. I hardly drink, and I’ve stopped eating before bed. The only kink in the works is the news. I heard the government arrested a state judge for allegedly interfering with its deportation agenda. Some parties are happy, some otherwise. I don’t know the facts of the case, but I’d be willing to bet it’s a show of force. This administration seems really intent on telling everyone what to do in matters big and small, although that’s pretty much the role of government in general. It’s just that sometimes it feels as though we’re currently pushing the boundaries of what’s allowed under the constitution.
That’s not really the retirement I envisioned. Although, truth be told, I never thought much about retirement, I just got lucky right at the tail end of my career. And I never thought we’d see an administration like this, especially after the first round. But here we are. I’m retired and angry people are in charge. All I can do at this point is manage my little world, vote when the chance comes, be nice to my friends, and hope the political storm plays out before it washes up on my personal shore.