Just Do It!

One great benefit of seeking and finding relaxation is that many good things flow from it. The last few days have proved that once again. I'm in semi-hiding and loving it. I contact whom I need to, when I need to. The rest of the time I enjoy looking out to the sea, enjoying the breezes; meeting new Bajan friends, and making new friends, both Bajan and foreign.

My wife and I had smacked a few balls around yesterday, and I had of course annoyed the heck out of her by wondering how she was off every blessed morning with a coach and her game was not making the progress I would have expected. Cho! A some ting dem a do? So, I had her with a few drills and if she messed up then push ups and star jumps. "You need every ball to go where you mean," I told her. "I want to get exercise," she replied. 'Well, run then,"I added. We then played a match and were at 5-2 in my favour and she accepted my offer to call it quits.

The rest of the day was a mix of watching tennis, having friends join us for pudding and souse, made in residence, chatting about life and economy in Barbados, then dining to the crooning of a one-time tiler as we enjoyed the sea's sounds and some stunning food.

This morning, we had an invitation to play tennis at Sugar Hill. Must be with some sugar daddy. No. Not at all. After tennis, we took breakfast together--about 12 of us. The group was all expatriates: some English, some Australian, some American, one Jamaican, and a Bahamian. We loved the house, designed by another friend of ours. We talked about life after retirement, and opportunities for new business people in Barbados (a post on that will follow).

One person, born in another former colony, and now retired, waxed about how his post retirement presents were so well appreciated when his wife acceded to give them to him. One he enjoys every weekend--the full Saturday edition of the Financial Times; the other he will enjoy whenever he travels--no more sitting in steerage.

I then returned to 'Camp Tuckedaway" and grabbed a little swim in the sea, spoke to a Barbadian international footballer whom I recognised, said goodbye to an English family we had met a few nights ago, then went to my room to write. What a blessed day, I thought. Could I have days like this always?

As I think about what to do next, I recall what I hear so often. "I would just love to take a few days off and do nothing." I often reply, "Then why not just do that?" Then the reasons: the kids, school schedules; the job; the money; the weather; the other people...Blah blah. I just think, enough already. Get up. Stretch the arms. Move the legs and get on with doing what you say you want to do.

It was at 7am that we started and within minutes the heat and humidity were high. Sweat was rolling as much as the balls. We had an early injury as one elderly Australian lady took a tumble, grazed her elbow badly and her knee too. Medical aid was on hand and she was cleaned up and ready to go, but a bit shocked.