Changing Fortunes

It was easy to keep interested 

in my working life, 

at least in my passion 

for addictions nursing care. 

But when I retired, 

almost 6 years ago, 

I had only my own life 

to be interested in. 

No schedule, 

no policies or protocols, 

no box on the calendar to say 

what I could do on what day. 

I didn’t have to squeeze in 

outside entertainment 

or family activities 

or even getting groceries. 

I had a choice between crushing boredom 

and some kind of interest in my life 

that had nothing to do with nursing care. 

~ quite an uncomfortable habit. 

I could have kept writing about addictions issues.

~ The neurobiology of addiction

~ Actual protocols for withdrawal management

But the powers that be hadn’t listened to little old me 

so I looked in the mirror and turned my writing to me.

I could still write about neurobiology

But about epilepsy this time.

Interest in my own life appeared 

as if by magic ~ maybe out of boredom 

or perhaps because I have lived with epilepsy 

for more of my life than anything else.

There you have it:

To reword a stanza from the Desiderata: 

~ ‘Keep interested in your own life,

however humble, for it is a real possession 

in the changing fortunes of time’ ~

“Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; 

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.”

~ Max Ehrmann

(Written 1927)