I thought I'd miss it this summer. The long days, the hard work, the damaged skin from too many earthly elements and too many hours in them. The bending over and climbing up and bending over and climbing down, the carrying of boxes and the long long drives. I've definitely missed it before, but I guess when you chose retirement rather than it choosing you, you don't miss it quite as much. Because I didn't, and yet I went for one day regardless, I guess what I began to miss was the people.It rained, I laughed, we smoked, I laughed some more, it was just like old times except I knew I didn't have to put a single tree in the ground if I didn't want to...but of course I did. I drove a quad, ran a night mission out to scope a block, cleaned up caches, got wet feet and managed to get tendonitis worse than I ever had in my nine years of planting. So as I put my wet boots, muddy gaiters and old shovel in the trunk of my fancy rental car the next morning and began the drive down the highway in the pouring rain, I became content in my retirement. Content with taking care of my body, content with relying on my mind to make me money, content to never eat another peanut butter and jam sandwich again. Besides, who can complain about a summer of midnight sun in Yellowknife, four weeks of walking across rural Spain and a final month of roadbiking and slacklining in California? I know I sure can't. Like I said, I think I'm content with my retirement.
1 comment:
did you know i adore your posts? this one made me wish i could have been tree planting this summer, and made me glad i'm not all at the same time :) so far we've had a summer of jazz music by the ocean, wanders through the granville island market, dinners & long social nights with friends, lazy afternoons at the beach, and lots of time spent together, just hanging out. but your summer sounds pretty awesome too :)
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