On Retirement and Failure

 This is really an essay about failure (read on down). There is no user guide for how to be "retired," but we each do whatever we think is right for us. I picked up two new duties this week: I'm going to help a friend start up a distillery (not co-own it; just help, probably with permitting and setup); and I just got selected to a commission to help design the art/plantings in the center of several Washington traffic roundabouts (that is random and cool, and they are not ready for some of my ideas.

So, I'm adding those two new things to: growing and championing modern grapes; making wine; writing stories and books; volunteering with the Gleaners (taking produce to food pantries); being the GM of a running group; being Education Committee co-chair (and past board member) of SW WA Winery Association; serving on the HOA Board and leading a volunteer group that's replanting the gaps along our n'hood's frontage road where older plants have died; trying to learn Portuguese; and making a dry-stack stone wall in our backyard (which is about half done). Glad the Little Library is done! Oh, and in the Summer and Fall, there's mucho gardening and canning--really huge amounts of that.
Now, here is some philosophy: You know, each of those activities is incredibly small, in the scheme of things. Maybe laughably small. I wanted to stop climate change. I wanted to reform the big companies. I wanted to accelerate our push to build colonies on the Moon and Mars. I wanted to make the US government have a balanced budget. I wanted us all to pay higher taxes and take better care of needy people. I wanted to punish public liars (some politicians, some CEOs, and some media). None of that will happen.
I love having a great spouse and great kids and great friends and some past career success, and maybe that's all we need for a great life. But I wasn't able to accomplish anything big that helped large numbers of people. That is a failure. And I know why I failed. I think I see the way, but I can't persuade others of it, and I can't do it by myself. It's too hard for me, given my many personal limitations and the natural inertia/opposition of many folks. Maybe it's not too hard for you, though, or for some kid out there who might grow up to figure out how to fix the big broken things, despite all the obstacles in the way.



(photo credit: Shutterstock)

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