Thoughts and What Not: When does it get easier?
Staff writer
As you get older, you assume that at some point things will slow down and get a little easier. Several people have mentioned to me in the past few months that even in their sixties and seventies, they are still waiting.
I think the only time in life that things are really slow and easy, we're too young to realize what we have and how good it is.
As children, there are few restraints, limitations, or requirements. Have fun, learn, keep your room clean. Imagine if that was all you had to do.
When I grow up, things will be easier
As adults, we have jobs to contend with and taking care of ourselves for the first time. The job takes up more than half your waking hours, and if you let it, will take over your life. Keeping things running at home to make sure you're fed, not living in a pig sty, and wearing clean clothes takes the rest.
When I get married, things will be easier
You'd think that with two of you around to handle what only one did before that things would be a piece of cake, but it doesn't seem to work that way. You have more stuff, and more stuff to take care of, twice as many things are used, and twice as many things need to be taken care of. Your jobs are still busy, and you have to try harder to make sure that there's time left over when you come home to make your marriage work.
When I have kids, things be easier
When you have children, you often wonder what you did with all your free time before they came along. There are sports, school work to help with, programs, feeding them, doctors and dentist visits, and the general clean up that goes with children. They are entertaining all on their own, and you can sometimes just sit and watch.
When the kids grow up, things will be easier
After your kids leave home, it's back to you and your spouse. The house may seem too big, but there's still plenty to do. Now in order to spend time with your kids, you have to drive somewhere else, and you may even have to take time off work to go there. Once your kids have kids, you want to visit even more. There is babysitting to do, time to spend with them, and things to do with them.
Once I retire, then things will slow down and get easier
Work has been such a large part of your life for so long, that once it's gone, you think life will definitely slow down, but my mother-in-law says that she's so busy now, she's not sure how she had time to work. Because you're home more, you make more of a mess, and there's more to clean up. You're older now, and that usually means more doctor's visits or general health care issues. Life may not have slowed down, but as we age, we usually do, so when you're taking time to visit your children and grandchildren, it may take you longer to get there.
It seems that as we go through all the stages of life, it doesn't get easier, it just changes. And only in retrospect, does it seem that what you were going through at the time was simple.
So maybe it's not so easy being a kid
