Whatever, whenever, however I want -- and then some

That pretty much outlines my retirement philosophy. When folks asked me, before I retired, what I planned to do with all my "extra time," I would answer, "Whatever I want."

For the most part, that's exactly how it has worked for almost five years. Of course, there are some things I do that I didn't exactly plan, but so far nothing has seriously interfered with my retirement mission: Enjoy life.

As most of you retirees already know, there is not "extra time" in retirement. There are still 24 hours in a day, and those hours can fill up mighty fast if you don't watch out.

There have been some big changes. For example, I set my alarm for 5 a.m. for more than 40 years. And I got out of bed when the alarm went off. I never used the snooze button. As a matter of fact, I didn't know my alarm clock had a snooze button until I hit it accidentally once and lost 10 precious minutes.

Getting up at 5 a.m. means you're ready to go to bed by 9 or 10 p.m. This meant never seeing Johnny Carson, because TV recorders hadn't come along yet. I did stay up to watch Carson's last show, which was memorable in so many ways. But I was sleepy all the next day.

Now, if I want to watch most anything on TV, I record it and watch it on my schedule.

Now I get up when I wake up. About 6 or 6:30. I still don't stay up to watch the late shows.

I did stay up Sunday night to watch the Tony awards. I thought the telecast showcased Broadway in a very positive way, and I enjoyed seeing the snippets of what's drawing record audiences to the Great White Way.

My wife and I were fortunate to have lived in New York City for a while. We usually went to "twofer" matinees to see Broadway shows. What a treat.

Here's the deal: We could, if we wanted, see as many Broadway shows as we like. We're retired, after all. But getting to New York is no fun these days. Plus, the road shows of Broadway productions come to the Fox in St. Louis or to the Bedell in Cape Girardeau.

See, in retirement you learn to plan a little better and to make the best use of your time. Instead of going through airport security lines and expensive taxi rides and outrageously priced hotels and restaurants, we take a short drive to St. Louis or a five-minute jaunt to the River Campus and see some outstanding shows.

My time in retirement is actually guided by two main principles. The first I have just described: I can do whatever I want.

The second has been heavily influenced by a series of novels by Jan Karon. These books are about an Episcopal priest named Tim Cavanaugh in a tiny town called Mitford in North Carolina.

Father Tim starts each day with a simple prayer: Let me be a blessing to someone today.

The first time I read that, I was struck by how such simple words could have such an impact on anyone's life.

I don't spend my time accosting people in attempts to be a do-gooder, but I find there are ample opportunities to do things -- little things and big things -- for others. Every day.

At the end of the day, I take a quick inventory. I tally up the opportunities I had to be useful, to cheer someone up, to say "hello" to someone who is often left in the margins, to share a smile or just to wave at a passing car.

When all is said and done, I remember Father Tim's other prayer, the one with just four words, the one that covers all the bases, regardless of the situation:

Thy will be done.

You can try out these two prayers yourself, even if you're not retired. They work for everybody.

Let me be a blessing to someone today.

Thy will be done.

These two prayers add up to a satisfactory retirement, in my opinion.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.