Early retirement and good shoes
It’s strange. I’m only 25, yet I want to retire already. It’s not that I don’t love my job - sometimes I feel like my little corner on Fifth Avenue is exactly where I am meant to be in the world, doing exactly what I’m doing.
But you’re usually still working for something higher than yourself, and doing things you would otherwise not be doing were you not getting paid for it.But is there actually anyone higher than yourself? I called-in sick last Friday for a very bad sore throat. It hurt to even speak. The thought of a long day and night at work was just too much to bear. And if I didn’t listen to myself and how terrible I felt, who else would? It’s much easier to take it easy on yourself, than to try and find someone to take care of you because you’ve been hard. You know exactly how you feel–whether up for it or down. I just wish my feelings for Fridays are the same as my sentiments for Mondays. Three years ago, I used to not notice whether it’s a Monday or a Friday. I loved every day.
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Americans spend their whole lives–well they hit 18, or 14, trying to become independent and prove they can stand on their own. They do so until they’re 65. Then they get old, and the need for others, as when they were babies, comes back in full circle. Just when you’ve actually convinced yourself and everyone around you that you can do everything on your own. How can they convince people they’ve left otherwise, when they realize they need more than a cane or a walker? Or a paid nanny in a white room?
I’ve never stood on my own two feet this long–literally and figuratively. Whether it’s waiting for a bus, walking down Madison Avenue, or taking a drink at the bar at The Park. It’s probably one of the reasons why good shoes are very important to New Yorkers. They hold you and stand you firmly on the ground. They should also be light enough for your frequent strolls on air.
