Easy Does It

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       I keep discovering new ways to move from one square to the next when I want to get past things I don't care for, or don't want to understand or come to terms with. Even if all I want at any particular moment is peace of mind and to be away from anything or anyone that brings unwelcome chaos,  someone else's drama, or any sort of distraction from the life I have chosen.  I avoid whatever I don't want or need and I choose to pursue only the things I do. It is an unexpected perk that came with getting older and believing that I have done enough over more than six decades of being expected to do more than I am willing to now.

    My life is about simple pleasures and reachable dreams now. It feels pretty good to know that I don't need any more education or work experience than I already have to get further ahead or to feel good about myself or anything else for that matter, and even more satisfying is that I have made it this far without needing much of either to achieve what I have!  I guess it would have been gratifying to decorate my walls with more plaques, diplomas and certificates to show anyone who wandered into my home or office how smart and dedicated I was to something, but I did just fine for someone that never received a degree for anything and having my picture taken with mostly regular Joes instead of with a lot of famous or important people.

     This is another election year but I don't feel as passionate about that as I used to because I stopped believing that I had much of a stake in any of the outcomes, aside from hoping that a few personal friends win their chosen civic relays. I want them to give it their best shot and achieve their dreams but regardless of winners and losers in all of the political races I will be okay. 

    The Feds cannot screw things up any more than they already have without screwing everyone or finally destroying everything else (including the planet). The locals can only make things better for themselves or worse for anyone who expects more than they will get from them. So as they keep finding ways to try I merely sit back, count my many blessings and admire my own life and leave it to others to get mad or feel gypped out of something. 

This is actually a pretty good place to be at my age because whatever damage anyone else can cause will probably have long term effects and I won't be here for the long term anyway!

   I am still savoring that second wind I took when I elected to make some changes in my own life; when I walked away from feeling I was important to anyone besides me and my pets and when I made the decision to only do or say whatever was easiest for me. It has been a year since I bought a Mustang that I didn't really need and I have barely driven it (less than 100 miles actually) but it sits in a fairly secure location (in my garage) where thieves would find it difficult to tamper with and I like it!  I have taken a sabbatical from writing and publishing books because I wanted a break and because I have already written and published more than I ever planned to.

     When I bought the car it was because I wanted one more big toy and I wanted one that can conjure up as many  fantasies in my mind as possible. Mustangs are very sexy and even at my age I still need a few sexy images upstairs to make my heart race a little from time-to-time. So I look at it more than I drive it; cars have become like women to me in that regard.

    My appetite for excitement and accomplishments isn't as insatiable as it used to be, nor is my desire to try new things or meet anyone I haven't yet. Unlike many of my peers, I haven't yet devised a bucket list because I don't believe I need one to fulfill the remainder of my time. Whatever does eventually fill it will be spontaneous things that will happen without much careful planning. But that doesn't suggest I have stopped planning for everything; just that my expectations and hopes are simpler than ever before. 

   When America gets around to electing a new president this year I hope we get it right but if we don't, not much will change for me because I don't think we have gotten that right for a very long time anyway, yet I still made it this far and like I said, I'm doing just fine! I believe we over-worry about things like that because whatever happens it will be something else we will all have to accept whether it is good for us or not. Like getting old; I would rather be in my 20s than in my 60s but only if this were the 1970s instead of the 21st Century. (These kids today have no idea of what they missed by waiting so long to be born.)

       If everyone has a dark side then this is mine; I rely on my hunches more than I do probabilities or expectations and I have lowered the bar instead of raising it to get things done.