I have beeb writing constantly about my health – even I am getting bored with it all. Give me back to the world of ideas and dreams, halt this day to day stuff. Or at least back to the world of facts and science.
OK!!! This appeared in email. This from the National Institute for Retirement Security: “A new series of case studies finds that states that shifted new employees from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution or cash balance plans experienced increased costs for taxpayers, without major improvements in funding. The research also indicates that the move away from pensions cuts employees’ retirement security and that employers may face increasing challenges hiring and retaining staff to deliver public services.” I do love all this studies that support a position I have held for over ten years. It is rather disillusioning to see how stupid most people are. They keep having kids thinking their kids are going to take care of them in their old age. My care giver NN (Nicely Nepalese) had a long conversation about such practices.
She: How can I expect my children to take care of me when I did not take care of my own parents.
Me: I totally agree with you. You live in the USA, they in Nepal. You can not give up your life and your income to care for them. I moved to the USA when I was 24 – I did not care for my parents in their old age. Mind you, I do not expect my children to take care of me in my old age. For one thing, I do not have any. Hahahaha
She: I know you do not have any children but what you did is to take care of yourself in your old age, so that you do not have to rely on anyone.
Me: That is right! I just saved money from not having kids, invested it and so now I can pay you. It is a win/win situation.
She: It is, and that is my job. To take care of people.
So you can see that great conversations take place between the two of us. It is a mutually supportive relationship with no resentments, unfulfilled expectations or dashed hopes. I do not have family or friends rushing in to help me but that takes me off the hook. This is what that expression means: get or let off the hook . Released (or be released) from blame or annoying obligation, as in He was out of town during the robbery so he was off the book, or I don’t know how the muggers got off the hook, or Once they found the real culprit, they let Mary off the hook. It is also defined as freed, as from blame or a vexatious obligation: let me off the hook with a mild reprimand..
So let be this as a warning to people who have not been there for me during this ordeal. I am off the hook to assist you during your travail. Used as a verb its meaning is: engage in painful or laborious effort: (Creation may travail in pain but it cannot escape its destiny.)
I am viewing this time of being waited on hand and foot and being cared for as the childhood I never had. Goodness knows what kind of adult will rise out of this. A creative, productive one, I am sure.
No photograph. I am not in a good mood, in case you have not noticed. Today is a Marin County day with Personal Driver taking me to an appointment, stopping off to pick up a cane. I have advanced to a cane – no more walker for me. I hate walkers, they remind me of my mother.
