Retired!

Retired! That’s a word I find quite hard to get my head around.  For me retirement will be when I retire from life, hopefully in many years to come.

Life for is working, creating and above all, sharing life taught skills with those who want to learn.  I once looked at myself and saw myself as a failure.  Through my life I have tried all manner of things and never quite made it.  “What ever it is”. Maybe it’s becoming rich and famous, however, neither one has interested me much.

Now I can look back and say thank God I went through it all, because each time I failed I learned from it and tried something else.

Everything has now come together and I realise that without the T shirts I have collected through my life I couldn’t do the work I so love doing now.  I am founder member of a group that dedicates it’s self to giving after school lessons in performing and associated arts to those less privileged in society.

At 70 next birthday, reasonably fit although, suffering from the odd ailment, I have practically built a mini theatre single handed, which is there to give those in life that are normally let out for one reason or the other the chance to become a star.

My day starts at 8am and goes on till about 10.30pm on most days, Sunday I start between 9 & 10am and finish between 6.0 and 8.0pm.   After that the rest of the day is my own.

Normally, as I said, I start at about 8am go up to the complex and unlock; when the hirer arrives I go back home, take my 8 year old to school.  “Yes I did say 8” and then back to the hall to do the cleaning if the hall is free.  This means I have to wet wash the stage, the auditorium floor and the toilets; wash the toilet seats and pans sinks etc.  Clean the tea room and wash any china about.  When that’s over with I can get on with making props and scenery, that is if there are no repairs to the buildings, or plumbing, or anything else that needs my attention.

I try to fit my letter and script writing in whilst things I’ve made are drying.  If I’ve time I try to read up on funding that may be available so I spend a lot of time form filling.

Hold on a minute I’ve got to go and clear up the grounds around the theatre, so much litter blows onto our land, it’s even worse when the trees shed their leaves.

On occasions I have to go to meetings, what a pain to sit there when I could be doing so much more.  When the meetings happen, I’m like the white rabbi from Alice in Wonderland, I always leave it to the last minute, then it’s I’m lat I’m late, for a very important date.

At 3pm I leave to pick up my son, drop him off at home then return to the hall by 3.30pm until about 5.0pm to do more cleaning if some ones been in, or do some more props, then I lock and go home.  More often than not I cook the dinner that I some how found time to go and buy some time during the day earlier.

By 6.45pm I’m back at the complex opening up for one or other of our evening workshops.  This includes mainly keeping about fifty or so young people under control or teaching one thing or another with the help of many other volunteers.  We finish rehearsing at 9.30pm, when I may tidy a little if nothings on in the morning or more if there is a hiring.

I get home about 10pm, if I’ve no more letters to write, I settle down and unwind with a nice brandy and American.  Goodnight.

Life is for living

Ife is for giving.

If you like me are lucky and have the will and the chance.

Let your learning become teaching, another life to enhance.

John Alfred Kingdon