SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 42
The Retired Kid  The Retired Kid  By Jon Agee By Jon Agee
I t’s hard work being a kid. First of all, there’s school.
Then, there is soccer practice,
violin class,
voice lessons,
walking Sparky,
babysitting your little sister,
not to mention having to eat your vegetables!
So, one day, Brian decided to retire. “ It’s been a wonderful eight years,” he said, “ but I need a break.”
His parents thought he was joking, So they threw him a retirement party.
But Brian was serious. The next day, he flew to Florida,  to the Happy Sunset Retirement Community.
Happy Sunset was a lovely place. There was a swimming pool, Tennis courts, and a snack bar. “ Wow!” thought Brian, “ I should have retired years ago.” Happy Sunset was a lovely place. There was a swimming pool, Tennis courts, and a snack bar. “ Wow!” thought Brian, “ I should have retired years ago.”
Happy Sunset was full of interesting people. There were… Ethel Wally Tex Myrtle and Phyllis.
And there was Harvey, a retired plumber. “ So, what did you used to do? He asked Brian. “ Uh, I was a kid.” “ A kid?” said Harvey.  “ That’s hard work!”
Being retired was  not  hard work. There were card games.
There was golf.
There were long afternoon naps.
Or to the movies. “ So, what do you think, kid?” “ Isn’t retirement a blast?”
Or watching long documentaries on TV.
But Brian wasn’t sure. Being retired meant having to listen to Tex go on and on  About his hip replacement,
looking at hundreds of snapshots  of Myrtle’s grandchildren,
There were other things, too, like morning yoga,
knitting classes,
weekly checkups (when Brian wasn’t even feeling sick!),
Friday-night swing dancing,
Wally’s prune juice smoothies,
not to mention sitting  on Ethel’s false teeth!
After three weeks of retirement, Brian was fed up. “ It’s no use,” he said. “I don’t fit in.”
“ Listen, kid,” said Harvey, “ when retirement gets you down, you have to think back to the good old days.” “ The good old days?” “ Never fails,” said Harvey.
So, Brian found a quiet spot under a palm tree and thought back to the good old days.
Very soon he started remembering things. Good things – like the time he scored a goal for the soccer team,
the time he aced his maths test,
the time he hit the  perfect note on his violin!
He remembered singing  in the school musical,
making his sister laugh,
throwing Sparky the ball!
He even remembered that broccoli wasn’t so bad If you covered it with cheddar cheese.
Brian made up his mind. “ Hey, Harvey,” he said, “ I’ve decided to come out of retirement.” Harvey wasn’t surprised. “ Well, I’ll miss you, kid.”
The next morning, Brian packed his things and wished everybody at Happy Sunset the best. Then caught the first flight back home.
His parents were happy to see him.
So were his teachers and all of his pals.  “ It’s hard work being a kid,” said Brian, “but guess what?”
 

More Related Content

What's hot

DEMENTIA everything u need to know
DEMENTIA everything u need to knowDEMENTIA everything u need to know
DEMENTIA everything u need to know
AHMED TANJIMUL ISLAM
 
Dementia diagnosis and_treatment
Dementia diagnosis and_treatmentDementia diagnosis and_treatment
Dementia diagnosis and_treatment
shabeel pn
 

What's hot (20)

Child Development & Occupational therapy
Child Development & Occupational therapyChild Development & Occupational therapy
Child Development & Occupational therapy
 
Occupational therapy in school settings.1.16.2012.rev
Occupational therapy in school settings.1.16.2012.revOccupational therapy in school settings.1.16.2012.rev
Occupational therapy in school settings.1.16.2012.rev
 
Dementia
DementiaDementia
Dementia
 
A Guide to Dementia Care at Home
A Guide to Dementia Care at HomeA Guide to Dementia Care at Home
A Guide to Dementia Care at Home
 
The Gems Of Caregiving: Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert
The Gems Of Caregiving: Teepa Snow, Dementia ExpertThe Gems Of Caregiving: Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert
The Gems Of Caregiving: Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert
 
DEMENTIA everything u need to know
DEMENTIA everything u need to knowDEMENTIA everything u need to know
DEMENTIA everything u need to know
 
Autism Awareness for Teachers and the Classroom
Autism Awareness for Teachers and the Classroom Autism Awareness for Teachers and the Classroom
Autism Awareness for Teachers and the Classroom
 
Dementia diagnosis and_treatment
Dementia diagnosis and_treatmentDementia diagnosis and_treatment
Dementia diagnosis and_treatment
 
Dementia
DementiaDementia
Dementia
 
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, on understanding Alzheimers patient behaviors
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, on understanding Alzheimers patient behaviorsTeepa Snow, Dementia Expert, on understanding Alzheimers patient behaviors
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, on understanding Alzheimers patient behaviors
 
Gems-Teepa Snow's Dementia Staging
Gems-Teepa Snow's Dementia StagingGems-Teepa Snow's Dementia Staging
Gems-Teepa Snow's Dementia Staging
 
Good manners for kids
Good manners for kidsGood manners for kids
Good manners for kids
 
Causes of hoarding
Causes of hoardingCauses of hoarding
Causes of hoarding
 
Dr Frances Duffy - CLEAR dementia care: look at all of me
Dr Frances Duffy - CLEAR dementia care: look at all of meDr Frances Duffy - CLEAR dementia care: look at all of me
Dr Frances Duffy - CLEAR dementia care: look at all of me
 
The Role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the Assessment & Treatment of TBI
The Role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the Assessment & Treatment of TBIThe Role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the Assessment & Treatment of TBI
The Role of the Speech Language Pathologist in the Assessment & Treatment of TBI
 
Motor disorder
Motor disorder Motor disorder
Motor disorder
 
Dementia
Dementia  Dementia
Dementia
 
Autism powerpoint
Autism powerpointAutism powerpoint
Autism powerpoint
 
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, with Bathing Tips for Caregivers of those with A...
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, with Bathing Tips for Caregivers of those with A...Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, with Bathing Tips for Caregivers of those with A...
Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert, with Bathing Tips for Caregivers of those with A...
 
Behavior Management of Patients with Mental Disorders
Behavior Management of Patients with Mental Disorders Behavior Management of Patients with Mental Disorders
Behavior Management of Patients with Mental Disorders
 

Similar to The retired kid

Similar to The retired kid (13)

Blair Wilson
Blair WilsonBlair Wilson
Blair Wilson
 
Jordan 5D
Jordan 5DJordan 5D
Jordan 5D
 
Blake
BlakeBlake
Blake
 
Alphabet organizer
Alphabet organizerAlphabet organizer
Alphabet organizer
 
Writing Your Life
Writing Your LifeWriting Your Life
Writing Your Life
 
Kendal Kipper
Kendal KipperKendal Kipper
Kendal Kipper
 
Kendal K.
Kendal K.Kendal K.
Kendal K.
 
Writing Your Life
Writing Your LifeWriting Your Life
Writing Your Life
 
Maria
MariaMaria
Maria
 
Courtney F. Writing Your Life
Courtney F. Writing Your LifeCourtney F. Writing Your Life
Courtney F. Writing Your Life
 
Im Living The Life
Im Living The LifeIm Living The Life
Im Living The Life
 
Im Living The Life
Im Living The LifeIm Living The Life
Im Living The Life
 
Im Living The Life
Im Living The LifeIm Living The Life
Im Living The Life
 

The retired kid