At fifty-eight, I discovered a new passion—book blogging. I retired at 56 and had a lot of time to do whatever I wanted and needed to do. When I retired, I welcomed the idea of freedom and rest. But as the months passed, I felt lost and lonesome. I did not know what to do with my life or what my goal was. Long, empty days had never been before me with very little to do.
One fine day, lacking any other viable idea, I thought it would be an excellent idea to begin a book review blog. I was always an avid reader, but with work and kids, I rarely had the time to read. I was now home all day with no job or responsibility for caring for anyone else; there was only one thing I could do — read. I was writing reviews of all the novels that I read, mostly for my leisure time entertainment to read them myself.
Ever since I started my tiny book blog, it has become a source of joy for me to wake up in the morning. The first thing I do is have a cup of coffee and read a book. I enjoy finding myself wrapped in the plot, pen, and book journal in hand, and wondering how I will review the book on my blog. What used to be a boring routine of watching whatever show is on when one is home during the day is now replaced by typing up these reviews. Replying to comments from fellow book lovers cheers me up Writing this blog has a sense of meaning again.
Little did I know that an activity I engaged in to pass the time during my leisure time would prove rewarding. The activity I enjoy most is working on my blog, as it makes me feel alive and in touch with the world. In this life journey, I can boldly say that at 68 years old, I am more excited about the new day than when I was in my fifties. The blog resurrects my golden age that I could have never imagined. I have learned that you can wake up one morning and decide to do something that turns out to be the thing you have always wanted to do most when you wake up in the morning.
