Introduction

A MATTER OF OPINION This is not a post about catholicism but I need to reference some catholic-related stuff to introduce a point. When I was a little kid, I had to go to church every Sunday for mass. Nothing unusual with that…….. many catholics did it. Over the following decades, I’ve given the practice up but even that’s not pertinent here. I do remember one specific Sunday mass and I’m guessing it would have been around 1963. The reason for this impressive recall of an event from almost 55 years ago lies in what the priest did during that mass. He was the parish priest and, as such, he had attracted the official title of a monsignor. And the monsignor ALWAYS celebrated the 6p.m. Sunday mass at the parish. Anyway, this priest was old and often cranky. But for some reason on the night of that 1963 mass, he really ‘lost it’ during the sermon. After starting off by delivering a routine monologue on the true meaning of the themes presented in the week...

THE PROBLEM WITH RETIREMENT     I like not having to work. Being able to sleep in on most mornings due to alarm clocks/ devices not activating is fabulous. The fact that I'll never wear a tie again is 'empowering' (sorry, couldn't help myself). Having the ability to put off until tomorrow what I don't feel like doing today still thrills me........and, FYI, I'm becoming quite skilled at that. In fact, much of the post-sixty world I inhabit is pretty damn user-friendly and bloody pleasant............ to a degree.   However, I draw the line somewhere short of 'fantastic' when evaluating 'retirement' so far. There is a dark region in the post-work terrain that you never hear about from us oldies. We're too busy being vociferous about just how dreamy the big R is to any punters unfortunate enough to be in the way. But the dim light exists and it can't be ignored.   The problem is a simple, yet ironic, one. Freed from the con...

SOUND ADVICE FOR THE AGED (Test post 1)     One of the things that really irks me now that I've entered the waiting room is the increased cost of indulging in simple pleasures. You'd reckon that once you're on the bell lap of the ghost train, such pleasures would be delivered at reduced cost or, at the very least, on the taxpayers' tick. But NO! I've been buying records/ CDs/ tapes for nearly fifty years and I have what could be described as a 'moderate' collection. The princess would use other adjectives (including 'fucked') which is probably due to us having to structurally reinforce the floor in our living room to accommodate the weight of the shelving needed to house it about a decade ago.......and it's only become bigger since. Anyway, I digress. As I move around the sound lounges in the city in my quest for that elusive re-issue, I've made a few salient observations, namely, 1. Records and CDs are fuckin' overpriced...

GENESIS Hi. My name's Paul Regan and I come from Sydney in Australia. I'm in my mid-sixties and reside firmly in the post-work world. Generally, I have lots of time on my hands and this is one of the reasons why I'm starting up this blog. I also really like writing and look for any excuse to put pen to paper. Favourite topics include politics, education, trade unionism, golf and the mental meanderings associated with anyone who has hair growing profusely out of their lugs and nose. My initial aim is to make postings of between 500-800 words once a week (on a Sunday) but I'll see how that goes and alter the schedule as necessary. Please feel free to comment on anything and at any time. Regards, Paul   -Blessing the ordinary. Sanctifying the mundane-