Easy Life Entitlement
Spending one’s life working and managing the duties associated with one’s job plus dealing with those naturally occurring problems in one’s family may well bring on an aversion to work of any kind. It is not unusual to find retired persons who decline to serve on committees or participate in worthwhile community service projects. They often feel that they did their share of volunteering during their years on the job and now simply want to take life easy and enjoy their retirement years.
As human beings in the United States each person has the right to choose whether or not to engage in activities during his/her retirement years.
While enjoying the individual rights, each person should not ignore his obligations to himself, his family and his community. He should actively strive to stay healthy and to avoid accidents that injure his body or cause disability, for these things cause financial or emotional loss to himself, his family or to the community.
“Staying healthy” is the watchword of an army of individuals, authors and publishers who are making fortunes through telling us how to lose weight, quit smoking, sleep well or exercise our bodies or brains. Many of their devices or ideas are simple quackery that should be avoided, but some deserve our attention.
Almost every month there are health reports stressing the importance of “doing something”, of putting to use the admonition “use it or lose it”. This is good advice.
It is easier to sit in the rocker than walk around the block, easier to watch television than read a book. Walking and reading are not difficult chores, yet, the choice to do them represents an important step toward healthy living. Walking and reading are mentioned only as examples of physical and mental activities that are important to healthful living.
Some retirees reject the idea of doing things because it arouses memories of boring work at the office or the pressure of meeting deadlines. These feelings can be avoided by choosing different and more challenging activities. Some tasks undertaken may be too difficult, but we need to remember that the work [physical and mental] involved in the task is the important part. Successful completion is just the ‘icing on the cake’.
The rewards are doubled when one’s activities help other people. Assisting Boy or Girl Scouts with projects, coaching athletic teams, mentoring school children, leading groups on tree or flower identification hikes and serving as Merit Badge counselor are just a few of the activities that one may do to use our knowledge or skill to bring life and enjoyment into our lives --- and keep us healthy and alert.
If we don’t use our bodies and minds they will dry up and become useless, making us dependent on others. For ourselves and those around us, we should do what we can to maintain our independence as long as we can.
Jerry Clements 6/29/06
As human beings in the United States each person has the right to choose whether or not to engage in activities during his/her retirement years.
While enjoying the individual rights, each person should not ignore his obligations to himself, his family and his community. He should actively strive to stay healthy and to avoid accidents that injure his body or cause disability, for these things cause financial or emotional loss to himself, his family or to the community.
“Staying healthy” is the watchword of an army of individuals, authors and publishers who are making fortunes through telling us how to lose weight, quit smoking, sleep well or exercise our bodies or brains. Many of their devices or ideas are simple quackery that should be avoided, but some deserve our attention.
Almost every month there are health reports stressing the importance of “doing something”, of putting to use the admonition “use it or lose it”. This is good advice.
It is easier to sit in the rocker than walk around the block, easier to watch television than read a book. Walking and reading are not difficult chores, yet, the choice to do them represents an important step toward healthy living. Walking and reading are mentioned only as examples of physical and mental activities that are important to healthful living.
Some retirees reject the idea of doing things because it arouses memories of boring work at the office or the pressure of meeting deadlines. These feelings can be avoided by choosing different and more challenging activities. Some tasks undertaken may be too difficult, but we need to remember that the work [physical and mental] involved in the task is the important part. Successful completion is just the ‘icing on the cake’.
The rewards are doubled when one’s activities help other people. Assisting Boy or Girl Scouts with projects, coaching athletic teams, mentoring school children, leading groups on tree or flower identification hikes and serving as Merit Badge counselor are just a few of the activities that one may do to use our knowledge or skill to bring life and enjoyment into our lives --- and keep us healthy and alert.
If we don’t use our bodies and minds they will dry up and become useless, making us dependent on others. For ourselves and those around us, we should do what we can to maintain our independence as long as we can.
Jerry Clements 6/29/06
posted by Jeremiah | 8:28 AM
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