The Engineer's Mistake

Today’s word of the day is Iktsuarpok. 

It’s the Inuit word describing the feeling of anticipation when waiting for an expected guest while continually checking for their arrival out your front door or window.

It’s on my mind because I’ll be visiting my grandmother this week. She will likely wait all day for my arrival, even knowing it’s more than a 500-mile drive. As if somehow, magically, I will be there for lunch if she keeps watching. I am so very lucky to still have her here and hope the visit is as enjoyable as the anticipation.

The other reason for this word of the day might matter to you more. Iktsuarpok is also like the anticipation people have for retirement. Is it here yet? I am just X days/hours/minutes away. Oh if the market holds, I can do it sooner….anxiously looking at their accounts; wondering if they dare, daydreaming on the weekend.

Which brings me to the engineer's mistake. In my 20s, I worked with an engineer who was extremely frugal, earnest and determined to retire at 40. He worked all the time. He was single, and waiting to enjoy life after he retired. He died of cancer at 38, while we were at work, next to an airplane fan reverser we were building. 

I was shaken.  My father was even more upset than me, just hearing the story on the phone. I realize now I was still in that stage of life where you feel invincible; that surely couldn’t happen to me. My father was more acutely aware that life is short, and maybe we shouldn’t wait to enjoy it. 

I don’t know if your retirement Itsuarpok is for a date far in the future or already coming up this year, but as a workaholic myself, I am reminding us both, go spend your leisure time well.

James Wallman, author of “Time and How To Spend It.”, writes that leisure time doesn’t improve your life and make you happier, unless you use it well. His recommendations are to do things that

1.     Leave you with a story to share with others, that provides meaning

2.     Change you or helps you to grow

3.     Allow you to unplug- get outside and offline

4.     Challenge you to use your skills and passions in a way that uses all of your energy and intensity and gets you into flow

5.     Improve relationships

6.     Give you a sense of awe

With my grandmother this week, we will be playing with a Foldscope paper microscope. I think it hits on all 6 recommendations.  I plan to read her The Summer Book by Tove Jansson because it reminded me of summers at her house and the conspiring of grandmothers and grandchildren. And we’ll celebrate her 98th birthday with fancy cake on the fancy dishes that she never lets us use, because what event are we waiting for to use them?

If you’re doing something fun, please reply and inspire me too.

Best wishes,
Rose