Time Out

This is the time of year when your ageing observer adjusts his spectacles, tunes up the old hearing aids, and generally sits back on tiring haunches to take a week off, just to play. We do this to commemorate the anniversary when a young woman brought forth her fifth son -- on the date of this publication, eighty-five years ago. This year's such celebration took us to California, the abode of our own and only son, who himself had just tripped past the mid-stripe of years into his second half-century. I think we selected that journey's end just to be sure he hadn't been gaining too much on the old man in the interim. We found the certain way to rejuvenate one another by walking down miles of beach of an early morning, and staying up late to share the gift of music which restored the youthful soul every time. Our wonderful spouse and other close relatives shared our glee at enjoying our holiday. Newly-found friends are treasured.

Back this time, unlike scores of past ones down the end of last century into almost the first decade of the new, we were able to yawn mightily, and doze, remembering the late nights along with no nagging need to keep a deadline (except for showing up at the airport on time.) When the entire hiatus was over, we remembered we were a part of the retired set and rejoiced accordingly.

We didn't feel compelled -- in what little spare time we had -- to watch the tube, read a paper or magazine, or even to be aware of the political, economic and global turmoil du jour. We figured the world would spin on its green axis without our input for several days anyhow, and that Western civilization as we know it would not decline while we stepped aside briefly. Would we recommend such an apparently carefree course for others? Emphatically! All of us need to take the time and trouble to restore ourselves of soul-fatigue, the cramping of the intellect and the heartstrings, and just step away from the get-up-an-go that has been the motto we have lived by. Take life as easy as you know how, and you will have paid yourself a bonus you have earned.