Another week is here. I think.
OK, I know another week is here because I'm sitting in front of this computer and Wanda left for work this morning. What I'm not sure about is the beginning of the week. Is it today, or was it yesterday?
In most cultures Sunday is the first day of the week, although some observe Monday as the first day.
"According to the Bible, God created the Earth in six days, and rested on the seventh day, the Sabbath, i.e. Saturday. This made Sunday the first day of the week, while Saturdays were sanctified for celebration and rest. After the week was adopted in Early Christian Europe, Sunday remained the first day of the week, but also gradually displaced Saturday as the day of celebration and rest, being considered the Lord's Day. In some places Sunday thus came to be viewed as the last day of the week.
"The variation is evident from names of the days in some languages — in Hebrew, Arabic, Greek, Church Latin and Portuguese, some days are simply called by their number starting from Sunday, e.g. Monday is called 'Second day' etc. In other languages, like Slavic languages, days are also called after their ordinal numbers, but starting from Monday, making Tuesday the 'Second day.'"(1)
When I was a kid I lived for the week-end. As an impressionable youngster it was probably not the smartest thing to do. Looking forward to an education and working harder at school may have fostered a more professional me. As it was and in spite of a nursing career, I have always been and still am, a dreamer.
A favorite and most satisfying feeling was waking up Saturday morning and first thinking it was a school day. When I worked in a field that knows no regular off time it was waking anytime, thinking it was an on shift and realizing it was not. Then it was getting past the "Can you come in" phone call. I loved the freedom to do whatever I wanted. No school bells, no time clock, no worries.
Whether Sunday or Monday marks the start of a new week truly doesn't matter. The time that I have left is what does. Recently I've been giving it a lot of thought. I should be making more important decisions and I'm putting them off.
I wonder how many hours of my life I've spent looking through dirty and spotted eyeglass lenses. I've been wearing glasses my entire life. That's not exactly true. I spent my first six years bumping into things. I tried contacts but they were more trouble than they were worth.
I'd love to see clearly without glasses. It would be fantastic to arise in the morning without feeling around for vision aids that are as likely to be on the floor as anywhere else. I know I'll never be free of the reminders a lifetime of wearing glasses has bestowed upon me. I have permanent ridges above both ears and indentations on either side of my nose.
Now I read LASIK or PRK laser surgery can correct my astigmatism. The older I get the more difficult and complicated these self (or standard of living) improvement decisions become. The average price this year for corrective laser eye surgery is $2,073 per eye. I'm sure there are some people who only need (or have) one eye done. I'm also fairly certain groups of Cyclops inhabit small areas of the world but I seriously doubt they'd be interested in eye surgery.
SO WHY DON'T THEY ADVERTISE THE TOTAL COST FOR THE EYE PROCEDURE?
Because $2,073 per eye sounds less expensive than $4,146 per head.
As I already indicated, I would dearly love to throw my glasses away. I would also love to visit Norway. Unfortunately I will never see Norway with 20/20 vision. Either I stay home, have the surgery and look at clear pictures, or I go and see the fjords through my glasses. I can't do both.
I think I just determined the rational behind my life and world views. Rather than a cheery disposition from looking through rose tinted lenses, scratched and dirty has been my perspective.
Besides, I don't know how much longer I'll be around. The yearly amortization cost of the LASIK just may be too high.
I've recently starting thinking in terms of longevity (it's a much nicer thought than mortality) when making certain decisions. How much longer will we live in this house? Is several thousand dollars for a water conditioner a good investment? Should we go to Disneyland next year or put the money aside for future medical needs? I've heard rumors the price of Dulcolax and B.P. medication will double in three years.
I'm glad to know I can get financial help with some of my senior needs. There is a government agency that offers assistance with communication devices. Telephones with extra large numbers or amplified sound systems qualify. No one calls me now. I won't need a home phone in five years but if I do I will fill out the forms. Sadists, you can't see and need a phone with extra large numbers but to qualify you must fill out forms.
Ageing is difficult enough. Trying to guess how long I'll live, what investments to make and how to spend money wisely is damn near impossible. I've heard the expression, "I want the last check I write to bounce." I wonder if they cash your check before or after the funeral service.
I've read many older professional writers still use their manual typewriters. I compose directly on the computer and make far too many errors to use anything less than a word processor. The computer is a great tool for my writing. Aside from that, I'm trying to decide if the Internet is a time saver or a time waster.
Wanda and I watch several programs on HGTV. We enjoy seeing people buying, renovating or relocating their homes. On "House Hunters International" a couple was looking for a new home in the Caribbean. I was sure their desired location was Punta Cunta but it didn't sound like an actual place. I needed to ascertain the proper city name.
These days I'm hardwired (I thought hardwired was a cleaver word choice although most everything is wireless now. I should have used programmed) to go to a computer (we have several) and check the Internet.
I discovered it was not Punta Cunta but Punta Cana. It's in the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic. Punta Cana refers to the cane palms in the region, and literally means "Tip of the White Cane Palms." So now I was enlightened and educated.
If I didn't have access to every know fact in the history of the world at my fingertips, I would need to open a book. That's assuming I would even have the proper book in my house. I gave away my encyclopedias when I was nineteen. I know I wouldn't get in my car and drive to the local library to research Punta Cunta.
Aside from knowing the Spanish translation of "Tip of the White Cane Palms" which I filed somewhere in my brain, I actually wasted four or five minutes on line. If I didn't have the proper reference material and I didn't want to drive to the library I would most assuredly say, "Screw it" and that would take about fifteen seconds.
Getting back to my original thought, does the Internet save or waste time?
Wanda and I always seem to have tablets within our grasp. When a question comes up it seems one of us checks IMBD or Flixster or Silk or Google to find an answer. Every time I garner a new fact and stockpile it in my over crowded brain I'm sure I loose some old piece of information.
So while having a computer and Internet access most assuredly saves time over older forms of research, I'm spending my time finding information I really don't need. And I'm probably replacing facts I'll ultimately want and won't have.
In the long run doing nothing may not be a time-waster but a time-saver.
If anyone hears of inexpensive air fare to Colorado or Washington please let me know. I may need some help in the screw-it do-nothing department.
(1) Wikipedia
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