Yes, Marie Kondo, They Spark Joy!

Take the time to find what sparks your joy.

Picture by the author.

When I turned 65 I started working half time at my job. I had planned to work half time for the next three years. After that time there would be an enormous exam that I would have to write. There was no way I wanted to study and write that exam again, so I would fully retire at 68.

That was the plan. So much for my plans. They say if you want to make God laugh start making plans!

Well, I was nervous thinking about leaving a career I loved. This career was who I was, wasn’t it? Several months after going part-time I knew it was time to leave. I had to stay for 6 months more to be able to train my replacement. This further reinforced in my mind that it was time for me to go.

What would I do with all this time? At first, I delighted in doing not much of anything. Then reality set in and doing nothing wasn’t for me.

Writing

The first thing was to write my murder mystery book. The fact that I had never taken writing classes and hadn’t gone further in English than first year university wouldn’t stop me. Little did I know how many classes and knowledge would be needed.

Taking the classes and the practice of writing showed me how much I didn’t know. But writing can…