Saw a friend of mine I haven’t
seen in ages. She’s been retired for two years.
What do you do all day, I asked
her.
My house has never been so clean,
she said, my drawers never so tidy. Every afternoon I sit down to eat my lunch
and cook dinner every night. The dishwasher is never full. My laundry is folded
and put away, my windows gleam, there is no soap scum on my shower walls. My cabinets
and closets are organized; my attic and basement are empty. I clip coupons and
food shop; we are never out of anything. I walk every afternoon and take naps. The
car is polished, the inside vacuumed. The dog is brushed; his bowl is washed
and dried each day. Saturdays and Sundays hold no special value and are viewed
as just another two days to endure.
But what do you do? I asked.
Nothing, she said, I do nothing.
What if I retired?
What if I didn’t write?
Would I go back to the music I
thought would bring me fame, or back to painting which I knew would not? How
would I spend the rest of my life...cleaning, clipping and folding my underwear
just so?
What would I do?
What would you do if you didn’t
write?
I would read and cook and take pictures, but my house would probably look no better than it ever has. I can't imagine spending all day, every day, cleaning. Though if my husband takes it up in his old age, I won't complain.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...clean house = boring life I think, although mine is a mess and my life is not exciting at all.
DeleteRead. I might travel, but probably to places I've read about or where famous authors have lived and died, etc. And I'd read while I was there. I would probably actually try some cooking, even though I'm not a fan. I'm mostly not a fan because it's too time consuming.
ReplyDeleteCooking nah...eating, hell yes. I would weigh 500 lbs easy.
DeleteWhat would you do if you didn't write?
ReplyDeleteWow. Hm. Thinking. BRB.
Okay, I'm back. So, the reality for me is this. If I didn't write, it would have to mean I was dead, so I guess my answer is, I'd be floating on the wind in the Blue Ridge mountains, settling into the dirt, nourishing the land, and hopefully come back reincarnated as THE writer of the great American story. :)
Maybe you're writing it now.
DeleteEeek! Just pinched myself. Thank GOD I'm not dead. LOL! Thank you for those nice words...I doubt it...too many f' bombs in this one to be TGAN. But...one does what one has to do to see if something different makes...the difference.
Delete