Day 282

I’m finding the recorder class stimulating. Maybe it’s learning a new skill or maybe it’s increasing my breathing. I do get tired by the end of the hour and sort of squeak the high notes. I will keep up with the lessons. Today is J Street Journals at Chris’ house. Carol, Chris, and I catch up with our personal lives. I don’t have anything new to share. I’ll look in the doc file and find an old one.

The Glories of Morning  

One of the best things about retirement is waking up naturally.  In the years since I lived by the clock, I have used my alarm clock only a dozen times!  All the other mornings I have awakened when I was ready to move from the restfulness of night into the busyness of day.  The word morning comes from the word morn.  It is a verb and it means the purity of rejuvenation; being made young again. Now my body knows that my age is the same as when I went to bed the night before but my mind and spirit get to have that brief but fascinating interval before fully awakening.  It is a time of waiting and preparation for the coming day.  Dreams come back and want attention, plans for coming events are reviewed, incomplete agenda are questioned, and imagination has its time in the spotlight of consciousness.

Mornings are so essential to my well-being that I protect them.  I do this by rarely making any appointments before 10 A. M.  The morning routine is more like a ritual and I hold it dear. When I am fully conscious, I want to spring out of bed and greet the day.  Sometimes the spring feels as if it has sprung, but the mind is willing to be confident and optimistic.  When anyone says, “Have a good day”, my reply is, “Of course I will.  That’s why I got out of bed this morning!”  People smile.

First comes letting the dogs outside to make their rounds of the yard and report any findings.  Then I go to the CD collection and randomly select one.  Often I don’t look at what I have chosen.  I simply know that whatever it is, it will be perfect for my mood. When I have ground up the coffee beans and started the machine, I turn on my computer, then go to the front porch and collect the morning papers.  I read my e-mail and respond.  I love e-mail.  I can be out in the world and sitting in my pajamas at the same time. After a scan of the papers, usually avoiding hard news, my journals get their attention.  I keep at least two journals, one as a logbook, one with commentaries, and the blog.  The logbook is a 10+ year with only four lines per day.  The fun part is looking back at previous years to see what I was up to. I keep track of the weather with little symbols.  In the commentary journal, I write about how I feel about the events I record in the logbook.  One reason for this is to have more of the things/people/activities that I enjoy in each day. After whatever time it takes to doodle, paste in pictures, add a stamp or a sticker, and document my life, I am ready for the outdoors and the appreciation of this beautiful place where I get to live.  Not one day goes by without a visit to the ocean.  I enjoy each of its many moods, colors, and energies.  After all of these personally satisfying elements of making myself young again, I am ready to go out and conquer the world!