I'm Retired!

Announcing my retirement has caused key people in my life to spiral downward to dark places and remedial thinking while spewing venomous words of hate, disgust and disbelief because of my life choices. Imagine that.

I recently turned the big 5 0.  A few years earlier I graduated from an Art school with a B.A. in Film and Video.  It was shortly after that I decided to retire and move into the next chapter of my life which initially consisted of caring for my disabled wife and my sons.  I'm blessed to be in a position where I can be at home and still maintain a quality life. I'm far from monetary wealth yet my family is lacking nothing. I don't pretend to have everything figured out but I am thankful for each day and I try to learn from every interaction and situation I go through. I tell you, not a day goes by that I am not amazed by the things I see and hear.  I see a lot of people struggling, hurting, dying.  My heart grieves for people who are without any hope for anything good.  I have so much more than so many of the people around me that I sometimes feel bad and embarrassed like I'm not doing anything of substance or enough to help.  And I'm not.

So, I chose to go a different route than the "status quo" (a)merican blueprint to marginal success which, from my own observations and interpretation, consists of minimal education, followed by incurred debt, employment, more times than not, that diminishes ones life instead of enhancing it, creating a family unit, incurring more debt, chasing after more finance, acquiring more materials and then essentially staying in that cycle until life has been spent.  Not many are truly living or truly happy and that is by their choice.

I purposely choose life and happiness and joy.  As crazy as it sounds, I have to actually "fight" for my peace and happiness.  The thought of me enjoying life instead of being a sleeping slave to it, sets many humans and non-human entities into a hateful frenzy that causes them even more anguish and ultimately premature death.

I refuse to follow after people who have never known love or happiness and have no compassion for others or the ability to control what comes out of their mouths.
I've decided to enjoy life as long as I have it, thankful for all I have been given and grateful God is Good!