I’m feeling a bit introspective and philosophical at the moment, so just bear with me….
I turn 60 in October 2007. As far as we know, Mrs B and I are in good nick and we certainly don’t act our age (whatever THAT is supposed to mean!). In fact, I don’t feel a lot different to when I was 20 except that I’m not cramming for exams in an alcohol-induced haze and the sex is more regular now despite the lies I might have told my mates all those years ago!
Have worked 55-60 hour weeks for the last 30 years or so and have had some fairly big responsibilities and budgets to look after in that period. By and large, work has been pretty enjoyable but after all that time and several changes in ownership of our company, you see the same mistakes being perpetuated from the very top and get a mite cynical about whether you’re making much of a difference. One definition of Insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
Coupled with that, plenty of colleagues have burned themselves out or have keeled over at a time when they should be enjoying their life a bit more and maybe easing up a touch. In the same vein, recent tragedies involving KB members have also had an impact on my thinking about the future.
It would be easy to carry on working but at the end of the day, it’s a waste of a life if you get too old and tired to pursue the things which are truly important and spiritually fulfilling.
We’ve decided that around the end of 2007, we’re going to quit our jobs and move permanently to Coromandel, living life come what may, including trying to put something into the community up there. Bikes of course, will still be a big part of our life. The prospect of saying goodbye to a working life and a regular routine is actually quite frightening. However, it’s not as scary as not having lived life to the full and bitterly regretting the fact when there was the chance to remedy it. That would be a real tragedy.
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