Greener Grass

I have often thought recently that I would much prefer to be playing the piano to working 40 hours a week. Of course no one would pay me to play the piano and I get paid a lot to show up for work.

Just today when I was at Bill’s house to play duets with him, he commented that most of the members of the National Symphony would rather be doing something other than making music together, but the schedule and money are too good to tempt them to leave. Isn’t it ironic that they have the job I think I want and they also are not content?

Maybe it has to do with how we view jobs that earn money as opposed to activities that we pursue just because we like them and we choose to do them over all the other possible choices. Perhaps that is why retirement looks so good to me. At that point in my life, nothing I do will be because it earns me a dime – it will all be just for fun! At least that’s the idea.

I’m already making a deal with myself that if something I do in retirement starts to take on the characteristics of a job – fixed schedule, expected product, STRESS – I will move on to something else. I am so looking forward to enjoying the things that I have to sample in small quantities right now because I still seem to have this 40+ hour commitment each week. I can feel the right time to retire coming up soon, and I can guarantee that I will have no regrets once it happens!