Retirement is good for public health

Saturday I came down with a cold.  I was really worn out by the time I had split the tree I had cut down earlier in the day.  As my wife was not happy with the low temperatures, she was very glad that I was amenable to returning to Duluth rather than staying another day.

Sunday I was even more worn out, napped a bit, and otherwise lolligagged around the house.  Monday, the same thing.  Today I cough some but have a bit more energy; still, I decided not to go out to a coffee shop.

But if I was still working somewhere, be it in an office or driving a bus, I probably would have gone to work on Monday.  If I did that, how many people would I have infected with my cold, be it by sneezing, shaking hands, or touching doorknobs?

Quote of the day, make longer plans

The other day my wife was wondering with a cousin on how old their grandfather was when he died.  He was Dr. Frederick L. Smith of the Mayo Clinic; I should be able to find something with Google.  As it was, very little and no obituary.  But I did find quite a few other Fred Smiths.  This one was in "Christianity Today" by a Fred Smith who was dying and ready for it.

"I used to lecture with a psychiatrist. He was at our home on my 50th birthday and said, 'Now that you're 50, make longer plans.' I said, 'Now I know why you're a psychiatrist, you're nuts.' He said, 'No, when you start making shorter plans, your subconscious is telling you to die.' "

Now I know why I want to cut down trees and plant trees, clear paths and lay down chips, and many other projects in Brimson.  I probably wouldn't get done all of what I dream if I live twice my current age (72).

Happiness is a book found by serendipity

I went to a library to borrow "Talent is overrated" by Geoff Colvin and found that it was not there. I often look at other books nearby and almost as often find something also of interest. This time it was "The Art of Happiness at Work" by the Dalai Lama and Herbert Cutler.

I have long been out of the work force but I thought anything by the Dalai Lama would be interesting. I was not wrong. I have scribbled a few notes on the loan slip and some of them follow.

In the chapter "The Human Factor", Cutler writes how two different cashiers affected the work environment in a supermarket. One is efficient and quick but sullen, rarely speaking. The other engages with the customers and even remembers what they bought previously. On the days the second works, the mood of the store is much brighter. Cutler quotes a bagboy, "things just seem to go better on the day's she's working."

Cutler asked the Dalai Lama about improving the work environment. He replied that we should "start by recognizing we are all interdependent..." He went on to describe how none of us really works alone; we have to depend on co-workers, customers, and suppliers.

Cutler joked about a counterfeiter working alone in his basement. If you think about it, the counterfeiter is still dependent on his suppliers and customers, whether they are marks or dealers.