A new day

Working in a day care (early childhood education center) has been a change from years at a desk. Changing diapers, wiping tears and runny noses, and going for walks around the room with my two favorite girls is a new way of looking at life. The paperwork I left behind is not important any more, the kids are.

When I walk into the classroom for my shift, my two favorite girls, both of whom are almost two years old, come running over and give me hugs and grab my hands. We proceed to walk around the room several times. It has become a ritual and I can't tell them no. The unconditional love is just wonderful to receive from these ladies.

On my first day at the new job, I was sitting on the floor and leaning over to pick up something (toys or the like) and there was one of my girls standing by me. All of a sudden I feel this very light brushing of a hand on my bald head. I am the only bald guy there. She was just trying to figure out what happened to my hair. Bald may not always be beautiful, but it certainly can be a novelty. The next day, in a different classroom with other kids, I found my bald head being the center of attention again as the kids drove several toy cars and trucks over my head.

All this serves to remind me that I am the oldest person at the center, my coworkers are about the same age as my children and I have more fun with the kids than with any of the adults in the building.

This blog started out at the request/urging of my daughter and a friend from highschool. I left a desk job at the end of the year and ventured into what my daughter calls "twilight retirement".
In January, I started a new job working part-time at a childcare center.

There have been some advantages to this change. The biggest being that I am enjoying work for the first time in about 30 years. And my blood pressure is down. That pleases my doctor. I also have some time to write. Something I have been meaning to do for about 30 years as well.

While this blog was going to be stories about childcare adventures, it is really about being in my 60th year and trying to figure out what I am going to be when, or if, I grow up. It is going to be the place for me to voice my opinions and thoughts about life in general. Random thoughts from a meandering mind, without interruptions from people who know more than I.

I do not know if anyone will read this blog. Probably my daughter and my friend will because they want to see if I am doing what they encouraged me to do. At the very least, I can read what I wrote and wonder if it makes sense.