Am I getting lazier? Or is that what retirement is all about? Kicking back and enjoying your life after decades of working? Articles on aging bombard you with pictures of active 60- or 70-somethings playing tennis or golf or lounging in the pool with a drink in their hands.
I didn’t have a vision of retirement life before I retired. Part of my thinking mirrored the poem Warning (1) to break free of society’s expectations: wear purple and sit down on the pavement when I’m tired. Part of my thinking came from those articles that promote the active retirement life – traveling, keeping fit, and socializing.
My mom had a different idea. After working her whole life, she declared, "When I retire, I’m retiring from everything." She spent her days in a recliner watching TV, getting weaker each year. I vowed not to follow that path. That’s not me! I want to stay active – maybe not playing golf and tennis, but keeping reasonably fit.
Or is it me? I seem to be getting lazier. The other day I wanted some blueberries. My inner debate started. I knew I should wash them, but I only wanted a handful. Washing them seemed like too much trouble. Get out the colander, wash the blueberries, dry the colander, and put it away. Can’t I eat a handful of unwashed blueberries without worrying about getting cancer or growing a third ear? This time I washed them, but occasionally laziness wins.
Those inner debates have increased. Tasks I used to do without thinking now give me pause. Now, like a three-year-old whose mother asks them to do a chore, I ask “Do I have to?”
I usually answer myself, ugh, yes. I need food in the panty and clean underwear. Yet other times I skip maintenance chores. I skip styling my hair if I don’t have a meeting or social event. I tell myself it looks ok straight. I dust around the lamp rather than pick it up.
The thing is, as much as I don’t like doing chores, they keep me active and the apartment livable. I’d love a pristine house like the old days, but I no longer want to invest the effort. The good news? Everyone’s eyes aren’t what they used to be, so maybe they don’t see the dust.
Is caring less about a spotless house part of getting older? Am I just smarter about using my time, or am I lazy? I vote for smarter.
But then I see the cover on the current Consumer Reports: The Danger in Your Dust. EEK.
The article lists the nasty things in dust: Lead, fungi, mold, microplastics, PFAs, and pesticide toxins. Then they list the nasty diseases that exposure to these substances causes. Are they trying to guilt me into dusting more? If I don’t dust everything frequently, am I making everyone sick?
At least Consumer Reports gives a partial solution. Buy an air purifier, a better filter, and a better vacuum. But they also list all the places you need to clean that you probably aren’t cleaning now: behind the refrigerator, under furniture, on high surfaces. So I’m left with the dilemma – keep a pristine house or permit possible pathogens to grow in my dust.
On the other hand, Professor Lonnie Golden, who teaches economics at Penn State Abington, said, "Laziness gets a bum rap from religion, from capitalism, and because we are trying to be productive in our lives. Even retirees have a hard time doing nothing. But it should be okay to say, “I'm retired. I can be lazy when I feel like being lazy.'"
Celeste Headlee, author of Do Nothing says, we have a culture of anti-laziness: "We have all been basically brainwashed to believe that we have to work hard, or we're not of value,"
Laziness isn't frowned upon at the academic research center in Princeton, New Jersey, Director David Nirenberg says, "You can do whatever you want. The day is yours." Influential figures like Einstein and Oppenheimer worked only four hours a day
The CBS Sunday Morning News featuring the Institute shows men lounging on the lawn, by the lake, and walking in the park. They must get paid to think. If my brain could pop out the Theory of Relativity, maybe I wouldn’t need to do chores either. And let’s not forget Einstein’s wife, Mileva. Mileva did the chores (and a lot of the thinking).
I like the lazy perks retirement allows. I no longer dash out of bed to workout before I go to work. I hit the snooze a few times, then I laze for a while playing my word game. But I sometimes play my word game when I should be dusting. It’s good for my brain, isn’t it? And if I grow my hair no one will notice if I grow a third ear. And maybe I’ll hear better.
So next time you find yourself in an inner debate about chores, remember: it's okay to be lazy sometimes. You’re getting smarter about how to use your time. But whatever you do, don’t read The Dangers in Your Dust.
References
Warning, The Gladdest Thing, Jenny Joseph
Susan Spencer, The importance of being lazy, CBS News Sunday Morning, Sunday, April 28, 2024x
David Nirenberg, The Importance of Being Lazy, Institute of Advanced Studies, Princeton University
Already did🙄