I’m not retired really, I say often to those who ask. Im still an artist. I’ve finished a painting this year. And what else have you produced, achieved or accomplished, Elizabeth? How are you proving your worth? How have you earned your time off? My word, all those expectations of all those years do add up. I observe that we go to school and as we’re there, we focus on our future income - if we’re part of the world’s 98%. What will we create, learn, manage, serve, help, administer, and all the rest, which will allow us to eat, be housed and clothed, be safe? How will we build and be a responsible member of family? How will we serve in our community? Do we serve in community? How will we fit in?
So many questions face us all of our lives and few of them are - how will we learn who we are? How will we find and hone our strength to breathe? What do we need to flourish as a human being rather that what do we need to fit in? Now I’m to the point where I can say that I managed to do those survival things and to be more or less productive, I’m to a point in my life where people say how glad they are that I’m resting. I’ve earned it. What?! Rest? When did that get to be part of the picture? I missed the class on what that was supposed to be. Thankfully, I’ve been forced to start figuring it out, seing as moving half a planet away has been a bit exhausting. Resting has been needed. It’s also given me time to stop and look around. I’m deeply grateful that we’re not having to keep being employed and that for many, this is quite a privilege (which makes me push the “are you earning it Elizabeth?” button). To those at my stage of life, I wish you well. I quite get the confusion.
Here’s a picture of me smiling, taken by me and, with great fun, edited on my phone with Adove Capture. I’m grinning. It’s getting a little more usual.
