A Gap Year at Number 42
The August Girls are here and we’re having a ton of fun. Next year will be the 10th year we summer together. That’s a long time, isn’t it? The other day we were talking about how good looking I was when we first met. Not so much talking about it, as me announcing it as a statement of fact.
The girls & Mike a few years ago
Anyway, we were talking and I think I want to have a gap year. But one where I stay home. So in essence a regular year, but one where I don’t work. And maybe where I limit my use of the internet/tv/news. Perhaps I’ll want to do that forever. The outside world is annoying. I’m not sure how interested I am in working anymore. Maybe I should retire early so I can fill out the word gentleman whenever I have to put a profession down on a form. What do you do? I’m a gentleman. You know there’s a word in French for a gentleman’s house: gentilhommière. But that’s only used for houses in the countryside. Number 42 is a city house.
My Mazamet 
I fully support “down time” as a way to rejuvenate one’s desire for work (especially true in creative type work). And think limited tv/internet would be very healthy for you. Just please keep posting, that’s healthy for ME, it makes me smile 😊
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I need major rejuvenation. Major!
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Nonsense. Get back to work :p
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😛 NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Our cultures are “pay as you go.” No money, no life, so if you want to take a year off, then you need to have quite a bank account to do so. Currently I am not sure I can afford to take weekends off.
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😀
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lol – same!
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You need to follow your heart on these things. It won’t make you wealthy normally, but it will give you a ton of grand memories. Ron has done that all his life. It startles people to realize those he knows, the things he has done and the places he has seen. It is grand. There is no one lifestyle, people should do what they enjoy if possible, and if you stop enjoying it, stop doing it. Hugs
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Then I suppose that with a town house you would be a particulier…but that seems too broad a brush to wish to use as a description.
And rentier might attract the wrong sort of attention ….
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Well worded, as usual, Madame. Indeed the term rentier doesn’t go down well around these parts. Since around 1789 I think.
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Personally, I would love to retire completely, but such withdrawals from the world only really work if you have somewhere else to go /to/. I can’t see you enjoying boredom for long. Will you renovate more houses? Write a book? Take up…golf??
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I’ll read and cook, and follow Mike around the house asking him what he’s doing about 45 times per day 😀
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Oh dear god…poor Mike. :p Well, if you do get bored with your self-imposed cocoon, you could always join me in an online game. 😀
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You are so funny. My dear friend Greg and I have been friends for over 40 years. We were both hot foxes back then – everyone thought we were a couple. Which of course we were Not (he is/was/always will be gay). What a beautiful man. And yes, every time we get together (he’s now in his mid 50’s), he moans about how old he’s getting/looking. But to me, he’s still a beautiful man. And now his husband of over 20 years is in stage 4 with cancer. So he’ll be single again. Gosh.
Let me tell you, sweetie – society is far tougher on women than men in this department. I’m 64 with a husband 20 years my junior. We’ve been together over 20 years. Everyone comments, ‘Oh, you go, girl! Good for you!’ without realizing this shit is brutal. It wasn’t exactly planned out. And he is getting handsomer in that 40’s way for men and I am getting older. I’m not bad looking for my age, but I do feel for you – it’s the aging that seems so out of context to what I feel inside. So it’s one thing to say, well, the opportunity is there to recognize that beauty comes from within, and it’s entirely another to catch those wrinkles or lax neck skin in the mirror (certain angles or lighting, oh, my).
As for the gap year, why not? At least why not begin … I’m with Scottie on following your heart. If you’re not in dire straits, why, indeed not? I haven’t had a proper job in quite some time. This is my time to be creative, to work when I want to, and to enjoy the fruits of my considerable labors. And thank the gods Chris is willing to support us day to day, enjoying his role as Provider.
All the best, sweetie.
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Deleted! Will write tomorrow.
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Go on then . . .
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Call me skeptical but,
“I want to have a gap year. But one where I stay home. So in essence a regular year, but one where I don’t work. And maybe where I limit my use of the internet/tv/news.”
I’m not seeing that happening for a whole year without some changes. Now maybe if you took up knitting or something… I follow a really nice gay man on Twitter, he was shy about taking up knitting but I encouraged him and now he posts beautiful pics of his knitting projects, he loves knitting. Actually I have always imagined you at a loom creating beautiful tapestries. I bet you would do killer needlepoint.
Those are quite solitary endeavors maybe you could buy a patch of agricultural land and plant a farm, you don’t have to live on it, you would be able to connect with other farmers. Fruit trees, you only have to prune them once a year, control for pests and then it should be pretty easy to get help to harvest the fruit. Honestly I really can see you owning a small manageable farm, it would open up a whole new social network for you when you join the local farmers association. I don’t know what they grow in your area, I image grapes but I never thought grapes were that fun to farm, to much bending over to prune. Fruit trees, you reach up to prune no bending over.
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