Daily Prompt: Observe

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The main idea is to have something to observe and remember what you have observed. Observing has become one of my hobbies . One day my workplace no longer needed, or perhaps, wanted me. I had become old, no longer full of energy and sparkling ideas. “The Moor has done his duty, the Moor can go” in the words of Friedrich Schiller in his work “Fiesco” dated 1783. And these words still have a ring of truth. Do your job and go, after all you get paid for it and when you are too old and tired and no longer able, then go gracefully with no big bother, you receive a pension.

That was my position after working for 30 years in the same company. Saving and working economically was always important for the survival of a company. One day you no longer went home in the evening with a little thought in the back of your mind on how to solve a few problems the next day, because there would be no next day. It does not happen suddenly, but with official notification that you no longer need to return. Your company does it in the interest of all of course, and you will be treated fair, but the Moor can go.

At last you have reached the road unemployment. It has a good side and a not so good side. The good side is that you still get paid, but this time from the state. The bad side is what to do with your spare time if you remain healthy.

I think that was the worst part. I looked forward to retirement, but retirement comes at an age when active sports are no longer possible. You are now free to travel and go places and see things, but the body may not be able to. Walking has become difficult, you tire quickly. No-one told you about this side of retirement. It was to be a straight and easy path to take and to have fun.

What do you do with all this free time. We live in a digital era and computers are part of it for me. I had a digital camera and began to take photos, but I wanted more. I got my first DSLR camera. I became an observer.

Scaffolding 2

I discovered it is not important what you observe, but why you observe it and how you observe it. At the moment the building opposite ours is being renovated and so I sit outside on the porch with one of my cameras and one of my lens and take a few photos. Yes, the DSLR cameras are now two and lens according to how I want to see the subject.  No-one pays me for this work, it is a duty of love. Taking photos has made me see more detail in life. You go shopping but look around you. There is a noise, a glass jar full of pickles has fallen off the shelf and broken. Grab your camera and take a photo, why not. I do. We even now have cameras on our mobile phones, and no matter where or what, you can take a photo. I have overcome my health problems. I do not sit around waiting for the next doctor’s appointment, I have observations to make. I even made observations of the decor in the waiting room of the doctor’s surgery. No matter where you are, you can take your observations home with you.

Hauptgasse Solothurn entrance 09.06 (4)

Daily Prompt: Observe

20 thoughts on “Daily Prompt: Observe”

  3. “I looked forward to retirement, but retirement comes at an age when active sports are no longer possible.” This is the trap of it. We should be retired from 20 to 40 then start working. Or something like that. 🙂

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    • I don’t know what the solution would be. We think we can continue as if nothing could be different. One day you notice an ache or pain where there never used to be one, and even your limbs no longer are the same shape. We become shape shifters, but not in the science fictional way, everything makes bumps where it used to be smooth.

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  4. The duties of love are the only ones worth keeping. One of the best things — for me — about retirement is that okay, body old and crotchedy — but whatever I do, it’s what I want to do — discounting doctor visits, of course. And shopping.

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    • One of my ideas on retirement You now do what you want not what you have to, but unfortunately not quite. I don’t really want to do exercises daily to prevent muscle loss and I want to take walks with Mr.Swiss. He has walking problems because of his back and I need assistance to walk.

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  5. Pingback: The Great Observer. – Nicolas Heartmann

  6. Pingback: The Great Observer. – Nicolas Heartmann

    • I was also a bit lost at the beginning, but I am sure you will discover something of interest. The biggest problem fo me was discovering that with age comes health problems and not being as fit as you would like to be

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  8. I’m 53 now and I totally feel the same way; you work, then slow down. Hopefully, get to relax and enjoy your children. But reality is, the children are married now, and busy with their children, work.
    I feel fine right now, I just took an interest in bike riding, and start 5k runs. Plus, I found WordPress and started writing, poems, photography. My mom and I garden and see. That’s fun. I still work, I love to work. I was told “old age, is not for sissys.”
    Your photos are awesome, you’re talented, use your skills to stay mentally active.

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    • Unfortunately I am no longer so physically active as I would like to be. I have MS and managed to break a leg 4 months ago, I like to keep myself as active as possible. I have my computer which keeps me in touch with the world and my electric wheelchair which enables me to remain mobile for longier distances.

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