Janet
has retired, but I’m still working, foolishly. She’s enjoying travel and sleeping in and
having her nails done twice a week! Since her retirement she’s traveled to
England, rafted down the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River, partied hard in Hilton
Head and managed to squeeze some “greg” time at the Delaware shore. What have I
done in the meantime? Save for that one week’s respite, I have worked. I am a
working stiff after all.
In my
defense I have been a freelancer in the television industry since 1981 and for
most of that stretch I have had to hustle for work. I have had some success in
my chosen profession and provided for my family rather well during all these
years, though I have also endured watching my fortunes ebb and flow with a lack
of work. There’s always a fear that saying “no” to work is bad karma; that it
will never circle back. The pendulum will not swing in my favor again and then
I’m left holding my bills without the ability to pay them off. So, I say “yes”
to everything!
Janet,
in her infinite wisdom, realizes the importance this working stuff is to my
psyche wasn’t yet demanded I say “no” to future work, but she has said “take
less!" I like to say I'll never retire, I'll just not get anymore work!
 |
| NO |
Well,
tonight I’m going to enjoy some downtime. She’s meeting me in New York City
after my shift at CBS and we’re going out to dinner. The difficult thing is as
a working stiff most of my experience with NYC is the logistics of getting to
work; train and bus schedules, EZ Pass, parking, etc. Sure, I can readily
rattle off the how’s and why’s of work, but not what to do with my leisure time. I try to get in and out of the city as quickly as possible. Ugh. I gotta figure this out fast!. She will NOT settle for a slice of pizza.
