...what I was born to do.

I have a recurring dream. Maybe every 6 months or so. That makes me feel uncomfortable. That I’m still working. For a newspaper. That I’m not retired. And that I’ve been neglecting my job. That I haven’t been covering my beat adequately. And I feel guilty. That I’ve been too lazy. Just trying to get by. Marking time. Instead of getting about. And cultivating stories. Writing. And focusing on important issues. Oh, it makes me feel so uneasy. And then I awake. And suddenly I realize I’ve been retired for almost 10 years now. And I breathe a sigh of relief. That I don’t have to go to work. That I’m under no obligation to produce stories. And I get comfort from that. I still write. Every day. But I write what I want to write. Like this blog, for instance. And so many, many emails. I cultivate human contacts. With the written word. And I even have time to fall in love. To focus the majority of my time on that wonderful endeavor. Falling in love with life. And with another human being. So, this morning, I tell myself I’m doing exactly what I should be doing…what I was born to do. –Jim Broede