Balancing Act

I've noticed, as I become a bit more comfortable with my retired state, I've begun to rebel against some of the strictures I've put on myself as a way to keep all the balls in the air through the years.

Not that I've abandoned my to-do list - it's the best way I know to keep track of the things I'm avoiding doing. But I'm working on using more carrots and fewer sticks when it comes to crossing off the items on the list. I do want to get the things done, but it's also OK to stop and let them go. Some balance between work and rest is becoming a reality.

I'm hearing echoes from a lesson my teenage self once learned. I'd started babysitting at the extremely mature age of twelve, and so in seventh grade, for the first time in my life, I had a little money in my pocket. Back in those days, there was a late bus from school, and no one checked too closely to see if you had actually been involved in an authorized after-school activity before letting you on the bus. (Seems a bit mind-boggling in the context of today's world, but that's how it was!)

So, every so often after school, instead of getting on the first bus and going home, I'd head to downtown Osseo, and explore all the wonders to be found. (My adult self wonders what my parents thought of this, but I guess they were a lot more trusting than parents can be today. My part of the world was a pretty safe place back then, and since I wasn't getting into trouble, and sometimes even went to the library, it was all good???) 

In those days, downtown Osseo boasted any number of wonderful purveyors of magnificent goods. Among them was a grocery store with a candy aisle, and, AND, a Fanny Farmer chocolate shop. It didn't take me very long to discover the chocolate shop would happily sell me a whole pound of chocolates any time I wanted, no questions asked. 

I'd walk in with my loot, and walk out with my treasure. I'd eat the entire box of goodness over the next couple of days and never have to share a one. Life was good.

But even then, even given my enviable metabolism, it didn't take me too awfully long to discover that, while I did - and do - love chocolate, it didn't sit well with my system when I overdosed on it.

Recently, I've been back in the learn-to-moderate-my-chocolate-consumption phase of retirement. Yes, I've learned this lesson already in the last few years. No, it clearly hasn't stuck. Yes, I can spend hours playing stupid games on my phone, and no one will care. No, I don't have to do the things. No one will make me, I won't get in trouble if they don't get done. 

Except. I'm learning (again), that I feel better at the end of the day if I've moderated my chocolate consumption, and eaten some vegetables along the way. It's OK to waste time playing stupid phone games, but there is such a thing as enough.

Balance. I'm working on it.