I am a-responsible. Without responsibility. At least as far as work outside the home goes. It feels great.
I am not irresponsible. To me that is someone that should be responsible but is not.
I am not unresponsible, which is not really a word, but if it was in my dictionary, I would define it as a person incapable of taking on responsibility.
When I am working, I am capable of taking on responsibility, and I am responsible. So the fact that I am on my first day of not working outside the home, I'm going to declare that I am a-responsible. Without responsibility.
Were finances different, this would definitely be the beginning of a life of a-responsibility. But the financial situation is not so great, so I am heading towards semi-responsibility. At least, that's all I hope it becomes.
How can I be retired if people keep asking me to be responsible again?
I remember a conversation in 1996, with a favorite co-worker (that would be you, Randy). We were working in downtown Chicago, not in the best part of town. We were surrounded by homeless and crazy people, and we decided that we were going to be the same when we got to be that age. It seemed so carefree.
Would that make it "irresponsible", "unresponsible", or "a-responsible"? I don't know, and since Randy has gone on to something very respectable, I think he might have changed his mind about living out of a shopping basket and prowling the shores of Lake Michigan searching dumpsters for discarded donuts and other scraps. Although some of those people seemed happy with their situation, I'm not sure how many consciously decided to live like that, probably very few. I'm sure the vast majority would choose a different life if they thought they had a choice.
I bet with the current economic situation that there are more people like that now than there was back in 1996. I personally know someone, a professional making a great income, who became unemployed and worked through all his resources and ended up living in a parking garage. Hard to imagine, but that was his reality.
So although I'd like to remain a-responsibile, I know it's not realistic. But while I have it, I'm going to enjoy it.
3 comments:
Great Blog Sue. I've always said if I were going to be homeless I want to do it in Santa Monica, CA. You know how I am about cold. Certainly not Chicago.
Enjoy your time off. I'm sure you will be working again soon. You are too talented not to be working for someone.
Even back then I don't think I would have wanted to live in the state that those poor folks lived, but I certainly did admire the freedom that comes with no responsibility.
I must say, despite the respectable work that I do, I still find freedom from responsibility to be quite attractive.
Sue, I hope you get to enjoy a small taste of it. Without the pigeons.
Bennie - I agree about cold, windy Chicago. I'm not sure Randy and I actually discussed where we would live, but it looks like he has backed out anyway, based on his comment here.
Randy - the freedom - that's what appealed to us, I think. Maybe one day (and as you say, without the pigeons).
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