We bought our little house just outside Coupeville in the summer of 2007. The plan was to retire to beautiful Whidbey Island by the end of 2008. We planned, we saved, we dreamed. But good dreams always take a long time to come true, don't they? Here we are in March 2009, still waiting to move in.
The remodeling of our circa 1963 country house continues, and the end seems finally in sight. We have been beset by one of the snowiest winters in Whidbey's collective memory, as well as the inevitable delays and complications that come from working with multiple subcontractors at the same time.
For me, it has been a lesson in acquiring patience. Spending one's career in daily journalism and corporate management, as I did for 36 years, makes a person impatient and a bit uncharitable when it comes to delays and a slow pace. When retirement occurs after all that rush and multi-tasking, you're left feeling sidetracked. Where's that morning kick that comes from three phones ringing at once and deadlines in half an hour? My withdrawal therapy has included frequent naps and a sudden interest in reading books I've had on the shelf for years.
I've been making frequent trips to Whidbey Island from our current home in Dallas, just to see the progress and talk with the electricians, plumbers, cabinet makers, brick masons and others. That has really helped me learn a lesson: I cannot will this process to accelerate. It is a communal effort by many people. My principal role at this point is writing checks.
As I was leaving the island last week, I stopped to watch a group of seagulls feasting on mussels attached to the pilings at the local wharf. Every day, the gulls wait patiently for this moment, when the low tide finally uncovers their meal. There is nothing they can do to speed up the receding tide. Just wait and know that when the moment finally arrives it will be delicious.
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