Task Oriented

Most times I wake up and have a plan of what I want to do with my day.  That seems to apply especially to us retired folks.  Then I turn around twice and the day is gone.  I find, as I grow older, that each day is important to me and at the end of the day I want to look back over it and see what I did with it. As a younger man, the supply of days seemed to be inexhaustible, so the need to accomplish something each day was not important.  That has changed.

The other day I visited a close relative and she needed some help with Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet).  Fortunately, I have some knowledge on that subject, and was able to lend her a hand on what she was trying to accomplish.  I left her home feeling good.  I felt good because I was able to help someone accomplish a task they had set for that particular day.   This past Saturday I needed to rotate the tires on our car.  An hour and ½ later the task was done.  I felt good afterward.

Sometimes, I worry that I may be getting too task oriented.  It seems that a day is unrewarding if I don’t accomplish something during its passing.  I’m guessing that life is that way for most of us.  If we play golf, we strive for a good score.  If we watch a ballgame, we want our team to win.  Although pulling for a particular team does not require us to do anything physically, it does require a commitment.  And all task’s are commitments.  So, I surmise, all commitments are task’s.  I’m getting into some deep stuff here J.

Jerilyn has adopted two wild ducks(male& female) that float down the canal daily.  They come up in the yard and she feeds them a cup of corn in the morning and at dusk.  It reminds me of the wild turkey (Nellie) that she adopted several years ago.  I was hoping that bird would stay around until Thanksgiving, but it flew away in September.  She was brokenhearted. 

I still have my boat setting out in the driveway awaiting repairs.  I’m waiting for spring and dreading it.  The weather here has turned cold again.  In two weeks spring will be here and the flowers will be blooming and the trees will be trying to go green again.

The ACC college basketball tourney is scheduled to start shortly.  Unbelievably, UVA failed to capture the regular season’s championship by losing to struggling Wake Forrest.  They are now forced to share the title with UNC.  

The back pain I had last week has subsided and the Vertigo that I suffer from occasionally has greatly diminished.  A comment I made yesterday to my wife was misinterpreted and left her in tears.  Hopefully, I will be able to convince her that I did not mean it as she took it.  She seems to be mostly over it today.  I feel so bad about it.  Sometimes, things just come out the wrong way.

Well, until next time, take care.  Thanks for reading my missive.

Tommy

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”

Mark Twain