How Do I Eat An Elephant?

by Wendy
(www.retirement-online.com)

Irwin, Kudos to you... great article!

I *always* use the "how do you eat an elephant?" question... reminds me that even seemingly large jobs can get done, baby step by baby step, as long as you keep moving forward. IT works!

Since I retired (almost 2 years now), it seems to take me lots longer to do the normal everyday tasks of life.

WHY does this happen to us? It's the "How did I ever find time to work?" syndrome. Retirees used to say that all the time and I never quite got it... I do now. I;m not that busy -- and yet time flies by!

I think life seems to slow down... and you might get the mentality of "I can do it tomorrow", but tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes -- nothing accomplished!

Thus, my New Years Resolution!

I want to write, write and write some more!

Like Irwin, I will write. I love writing and yet don't do nearly enough of it. I need to stop over-thinking things and just get my thoughts on the screen.

I enjoy researching an issue and writing about it. I also enjoy creative writing that involves nothing but my head... just start typing. I like recording much of my retired life and retirement thoughts here... reading my own writing from a year ago often surprises me!

I enjoy adding pages to my website so that retirees can benefit from retirement knowledge -- or the thoughts and opinions from other retirees. On our own, we think it's just ME who has specific retirement issues... but it's not.
We all deal with so many different problems and choices.

One persons story or comments on a topic -- might completely change or re-energize another persons retirement. That's really all it takes!

Bottom Line: I will write, write, write in 2012.

Thanks to Irwin for posting his resolutions out here, visible to the world... Now we are watching you!

I am following suit... and Yes, I have only one resolution, Just Write!

p.s. Retiree visitors are also encouraged to W.R.I.T.E. and share their own thoughts and visions of retirement -- just click on the Write Here! link on the top right corner of any page!


Comments for How Do I Eat An Elephant?

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Jan 09, 2012
 An Elephant Meant to Be Eaten ....
by: Anonymous

Dear Wendy,

Congratulations to you on writing and posting your very inspiring article "How Do I Eat An Elephant?"

It makes me recall something that I saw in 1967. As a newly married couple we rented a two roomed flat in a house at New Delhi. There was an adjoining flat of two rooms occupied by the landlord. His aged mother lived with him. She was about 80. When I went to the house to see the flat Mataji (the elderly mother) was sitting on a floor mat with a pile of tangled wool of different colors. She was holding the end of a wool thread and untangling it and rolling the wool into a ball. Two balls were lying at her feet.

I saw and approved the flat and told the landlord that I would come to pay the rent in advance late that afternoon. After finishing my day's work in the college, I went to the house to pay the advance rent. Mata ji was asleep on the floor. Next to her, on the floor mat were something like 15-16 balls of wool of different colors. The pile of tangled wool had almost disappeared. We shifted to that flat the next day.

I gradually learnt the life story of the family. They had migrated to India with no money or possessions in 1947 when India was divided into two countries (India and Pakistan) when the British rulers left India. For twenty years the family had toiled hard and ultimately succeeded in building that four roomed two-flat house.

Mata ji would go every morning to a nearby wool spinning factory and bring tangled wool which she untangled at home. She had begun doing this work at the rate of INR 1 for four balls. In 1967 she was getting the same amount for making 2 balls. It was back breaking work for that old woman, because she had to concentrate on the tangled wool and pull out the thread slowly and painstakingly to roll into balls. But every evening, the pile of wool would invariably be untangled, sorted out colour wise and made into balls.

This was a lesson for me in hard and sustained work and I too was able to settle down well in a new city, build my own house, raise a family, educate and settle the children and retire comfortably. Yes, one can eat an elephant by eating it in small bits and parts.

Thank you, Wendy, for making me recall the inspiring example of Mata JI.

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