Photo by Ramiro Mendes on Unsplash
I have been retired from the work-a-day world for nineteen years. Yikes. I just grew ten more gray hairs in admitting how much time has passed since I left the human services field to pursue a writing career.
Perhaps I didn’t think about how fast the world was changing when I worked for a paycheck. Then change was part of my everyday existence.
Not so in retirement life. So much easier to resist.
When I fight change, I look back to a retirement job I took on shortly after moving to Florida in 2011 .. a cashier’s job at a Kohl’s store. When the man said, “Life goes in circles,” I thought he meant incontinence, not working for minimum wage again.
My first part-time job was at W.T. Grants. When I interviewed for the Kohl’s job, the twenty-something assistant manager said, “Never heard of it.” Not surprising since the chain went out of business in 1975 (circa), long before some of my co-workers were born.
Resources say that W.T. Grant went out of business because they couldn’t adapt to the changing retail industry. I guess, even businesses must adapt or die. Perhaps why online shopping has exploded. The retail industry must cater to the consumer appetite for ease and low prices or become obsolete.
As I trained for my new employment, I worried I would become as obsolete as that ill-fated department store. The computerized system with its bleeps and burps and sassafras messages on its screen wore on my nerves. Within the first hour of the first day on the job, I was ready to turn on my heels, go to the manager and say, “Thank you for hiring me. It was a fun hour. Goodbye.”
“I’m out of here,” I said and started to leave.
A woman my age, my trainer, calmly scolded me. “No. You’re not. You can do this. It took me a month to learn. Just read the top of the register.”
Encouraged, I made the conscious decision to adapt.
When I did, I actually started to enjoy the work.
Just as the manner of doing business has evolved in my lifetime, I am different too. Perhaps the great circle of life is letting go of the old and embracing the new. There is a sense of satisfaction when something hard to learn becomes a part of you. I think of the seasons of my life where that has been true. Once I could only print. Then I learned to write. Once I had no children, then I had three.
No matter where we are on life’s journey, survival depends upon our ability to adapt—whether learning to use a computerized cash register or tipping wait staff at twenty percent. (Back in the Day it was only ten percent—that’s another column for another day).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Multi-published and award-winning author, Linda Wood Rondeau is a veteran social worker whose books examine the complexities of human relationships. Previously residing in Northern New York, the author now resides in Hagerstown, Maryland with her best friend in life, her spouse of over forty years. Though the author primarily writes fiction, her book, I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children is a critically acclaimed adventure in parenting. Watch for her next nonfiction book, Who Put the Vinegar in the Salt/Called to a Higher Standard to be released later in 2020. Her most recent fiction work, Hosea’s Heart, explores the complexities of the mandate to forgive as God has forgiven us. Watch for her next fiction work, Second Helpings, to be released in Spring, 2020. Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com. Contact the author on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Instagram.
JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS
(Revised edition) It Really IS a Wonderful Life (AKA A Wonderful Love)
An Iraq War widow finds new purpose in her adopted home of Midville when she joins a Community Theater’s production of the play, It’s a Wonderful Life.
“This is a story you can read at any time of the year, not just Christmas time. Sweet romance with believable characters, settings, dialogue, and storyline.”
(revised edition) A Christmas Prayer (AKA A Father’s Prayer)
A year after learning of a son’s existence, Country music legend, Ethan Jacobs returns to Jasper Falls, a place of bitter memories, to help his twelve-year-old autistic child, given up for adoption at birth. Orphaned after the death of his adoptive parents, the boy is at risk of institutionalization due to probation violations and alleged inadequate guardianship of his current caregiver, an older, adoptive sister. In view of his son’s delicate emotional state, the court advises Ethan to keep his relationship to Gib secret for now. As far as Jasper Falls knows, Ethan is in town to perform a Christmas benefit, although he longs to tell the world his current hit single, A Christmas Prayer, was inspired by a son he has yet to meet. Ethan’s intent was to rescue Gib. Instead, his presence seems to complicate the child’s life even more.
Buy Link for ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Prayer-Linda-Wood-Rondeau-ebook/dp/B081CJLS8C/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=a+christmas+prayer&qid=1574039969&s=digital-text&sr=1-3
Buy Link print edition: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Prayer-Linda-Wood-Rondeau/dp/1951080890/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=linda+wood+rondeau&qid=1574040439&sr=8-3
THE YEARS THE LOCUSTS ATE
JUNE FOSTER
12/28/2020
CATHEDRAL STATE PARK, WEST VIRGINIA
JOHN BARRINGER
12/21/2020
PRIME OF MY LIFE
GAIL KITTLESON
12/14/2020
FULL CIRCLE
JAYME H MANSFIELD
12/7/2020
GREEN STUFF AND HUBS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
12/2/2020
NOEL: THE CAT WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/30/2020
GREEN STUFF MAGIC
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/23/2020
WHEN GRANDMA FORGETS
CRYSTAL BOWMAN
11/2/2020
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BLUE ZONES?
SALLY JO PITTS
10/26/2020
FIVE WAYS SENIORS CAN BOOST THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS
GINNY DENT BRANT
10/19/2020
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM JOIN 'EM
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/28/2020
WALKING IN A WRITER'S WONDERLAND
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/7/2020
CREAMING
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
8/31/2020
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
8/24/2020
QUITTING MY DAY JOB
DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
8/17/2020
ADAPT OR DIE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/27/2020
SAY THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS IN BLUE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/20/2020
THE SWEET COUPLE HOLDING HANDS
MELISSA HENDERSON
7/13/2020
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/6/2020
FROM FICTION TO NON-FICTION AND BACK AGAIN
GAIL KITTLESON
6/29/2020
WHO SAID GROWING OLD IS FUN?
MARTHA ROGERS
6/22/2020
AND NOT TO YIELD
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/15/2020
MY CULTURAL DISCONNECT
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/8/2020
WHAT IS RETIREMENT
JULIE COSGROVE
6/1/2020
LOOKING UP OR LOOKING AWAY
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/25/2020
SEEKING GOD
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
5/11/2020
HOW OLD ARE YOU
Rachel J. Good
5/4/2020
IT'S NOT OKAY
MARTIN WILES
4/27/2020
EMBRACING MY INNER BOOMER
BARBARA BRITTON
4/20/2020
THE RACE FOR LILY
SHERRI STEWART
4/13/2020
GRANNY ALICE
LYNNE BASHAM TAGAWA
4/6/2020
RESILIENCE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/29/2020
LIVING WITH CHANGE
MARTIN WILES
3/9/2020
WHEN THE GROCERY STORE CLERK HAS TO CHECK YOUR AGE
MELISSA HENDERSON
2/24/2020
THE IMPORTANCE OF CREAMING
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/17/2020
FRIENDS AT ANY AGE
ERIN UNGER
2/3/2020
IDENTITY CHECK
MARTIN WILES
1/27/2020
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/20/2020
MY POSSESSIONS MATURE ALONG WITH ME
MARIE WATTS
1/13/2020
EYES FRONT
TERRI MAIN
1/6/2020
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING'
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
12/30/2019
SANTA'S RELUCTANT HELPER
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
12/23/2019
THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH
DEBRA COLEMAN JETER
12/16/2019
VANQUISHING THE CHRISTMAS BLUES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
12/9/2019
GRANDMAS THEN VS GRANDMAS NOW
GAIL SATTLER
12/2/2019
TECHNO BLUES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/25/2019
ADAPT OR DIE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/18/2019
CREAMING
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/11/2019
When our Get Up and Go Gets Up and Goes
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
11/4/2019
LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
10/28/2019
MY LIFE AS A BARCODE
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
10/21/2019
THE QUEST FOR THIN
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
10/14/2019
THE AMERICAN DREAM
ANGELA BREIDENBACH
10/7/2019
FROM GOLDEN YEARS TO GOLDEN BELLS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/30/2019
THE CHORDS THAT BIND MY MEMORIES
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/23/2019
JUST BE STILL
MARTIN WILES
9/16/2019
PRINCE CHARMING, SPIDERS, AND CHEMO
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
9/2/2019
GRAY IS GRAND
LOREE PEERY
8/26/2019
A GOOD QUESTION
GEORGE CARGILL
8/19/2019
LOVING THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION
ERIN UNGER
8/12/2019
MAKING PRETTY THINGS
KATHY MCKINSEY
8/5/2019
ARE YOU TOO OLD TO BECOME AN AUTHOR
HARRY WEGLEY
7/29/2019
ENJOY THE MEAL
MARTIN WILES
7/22/2019
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
7/15/2019
KEEPING IT FRESH
WANDA O. HOT
7/8/2019
OVERFLOWING WITH BLESSINGS
CLEO LAMPOS
7/1/2019
HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE
JO MASSARO
6/24/2019
GOLDEN GIRL
PAT JEANNE DAVIS
6/17/2019
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW
CLEO LAMPOS
6/10/2019
Food, Families, and Fond Memories
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
6/3/2019
FOR THOSE OVER FIFTY-FIVE
JUNE FOSTER
5/20/2019
NEXT GENERATION
KATHLEEN NEELY
5/13/2019
Mimi and Bop
Melissa Henderson
5/6/2019
NEVER TO OLD TO START OVER
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/29/2019
THE WRITER'S CALLING
SHERRI STEWART
4/15/2019
PLAYING THROUGH THE FOG
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/8/2019
SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO TURN OFF THE GPS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
4/1/2019
DON’T CALL HER MA’AM
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/25/2019
When Your Past Looms Longer than Your Future
Debra Coleman Jeter
3/18/2019
OUR MCDONALDS
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
3/11/2019
BORN TOO LATE
DIANNE BARKER
3/4/2019
PERSPECTIVE
LISA LICKEL
2/25/2019
IS IT THE BEGINNING OR THE END
KATHLEEN NEELY
2/18/2019
MY TO-DO LIST
SHERRI STEWART
2/11/2019
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
2/3/2019
MAMA, I CAN'T TAKE A BATH THERE'S A FISH IN THE TUB
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/21/2019
EAT RIGHT NOW LIVE LONGER LATER
Jude Urbanski
1/14/2019
AM I STRESSED?
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
1/7/2019
SHOULD VS WANT
LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
12/31/2018
I'LL BE ALONE FOR CHRISTMAS ... YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
Julie Cosgrove
12/24/2018
THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT
12/17/2018
LIVING WITHOUT REGRET
Grant Ferguson
12/10/2018
GROWING UP CAN BE FUN SO IS GETTING OLDER
ELLIE GUSTAFSON
12/3/2018
SOARING WITH BROKEN WINGS
Linda Wood Rondeau
11/19/2018
NEVER TOO LATE
DIANE TATUM
11/5/2018
The Not So Good Good Old Days
Linda Wood Rondeau
10/22/2018