Aging and working

Aging and working

Having a job when you are in your 60’s is not easy. I’m finding that out. I haven’t written a blog in a couple of weeks because I worked 5 days last week. That’s what most people work…. 5 days a week, 8 hours a day.  I can barely do 5 hours and I am so freaking tired. Fortunately, I am back to 3 days a week  on five hour shifts. This is do-able.  I am also learning two jobs; bakery cake decorating and cash.

Yesterday I had my first trial by fire on the cash. It was just before the woman’s hockey game at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The store filled with people stocking up before the game. I had a solid line for about two hours. I’m still looking for the codes of fruits and vegetables on a roll-a-dex with tiny numbers, lost when I get a coupon, learning how to ‘sign off’…. and speaking with each customer. It’s our policy to make eye contact and be really friendly. I can do it and I like it. But when you are going as fast as you can and they are whizzing by…. it’s hard not to see them just as their items to be processed.

I will learn these jobs and get into the swing of things and be able to blog on my days off occasionally. I really enjoyed this article from The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) on working when you are old.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/how-i-summon-up-all-my-my-charm-and-guile-as-an-aging-waiter/article16937139/

I have today off but I want to go babysit my grand nephew.  I will return!

Haiku Hieghts Prompt;

Although I’m not a poet, I like haiku as a word game. the current prompt is ‘seven’

First you must find five

Before you can claim “se-ven!”

Then go back to five.

<div style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”>Inspired by the theme at<br/>
<a href=”http://haiku-heights.blogspot.com/” imageanchor=”1″ style=”margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;”><img border=”0″ src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lsXQqho4V88/T8kV7avxmTI/AAAAAAAABHw/H4wcQqI2p0Q/s1600/HaikuBadge_Final.jpg” /></a></div>

Exchange these things for Happiness

Making Happiness

When we were young and looking for a partner, we hoped to find someone to make us happy but it usually ends in disappointment. That person is waiting for you to make them happy.  The line “you complete me” sent a young heart swooning but as an older person it’s a giant red flag. Someone who needs to be completed is not a whole person. They are depending on someone else to fulfill their lives. No one can do that for another, you can only do it for yourself.

I spent most of my life trying to make someone happy who will never be happy.  I had to move away to get some happiness in my life. It’s not that easy when you are in a deep slump; you have to work at it. Stream of consciousness, like water, can flow downhill easily but sometimes we have to have the mental strength to push our stream of consciousness up. And it’s like pushing water uphill.

I remember seeing an interview with Yoko Ono who said she realized one day she hadn’t laughed in two years. She had forgotten how, so she looked in the mirror and said , “ha, ha,ha”. It was a first step. She had to start pushing her thoughts back to laughter.

After my marriage broke up, I was depressed for a long time. I got used to being in a dark place, like it was my lot in life.  I was trying to think ‘better’ thoughts but mentally and physically I just beat them back. Then I tried Zumba. I had always loved dancing but hadn’t danced in years and years.  Afterwards, I thought, “I feel good!”.  It was a revelation. I realized I hadn’t felt good for a very long time…… this is what it felt like!  I’ve been doing Zumba for 3 years now and it’s still the best thing for depression.

The link to this article is very good advice and succinct on how to work at being happy.

This is Canadian Thanksgiving, so give thanks for all you have!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamara-star/exchange-these-for-happiness_b_4073396.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009