Well, that went fast. Retired. For one full year.

It still feels like I’m playing hooky every day. And it still feels great. No second guessing. No regrets.

The year itself, though, hasn’t been easy. Mom’s death continues to be mighty tough. Extra visits with Dad have helped a lot, well until the pandemic took over. Thank goodness for phones, texting, and Facetime.

John and Aubrie’s wedding is an ongoing ray of sunshine in our lives. The glow of love and contentment in their eyes makes my heart happy.

Retired for 12 months, I’ve managed to hit my goal of reading a book a week (based on four weeks per month). Here are books 45 through 48:

Week 1: To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite

This book should be in every school’s library. I don’t mean watch the movie when the English teacher wants an easy day; read the book.

An autobiographical novel, this is the story of the author’s struggle with racism. After serving in the Royal Air Force, the protagonist entered the job market in post-war London ready to take the engineering world on by storm. But no one wanted him. A Black man was welcome in the RAF, but not in the white corporate world.

Although written in 1959, this book feels sickeningly modern. Different characters throughout the book spout aggressive racism, ignorant racism, polite racism – all the types we’re seeing defined for a new generation this summer.

When engineering jobs are suddenly unavailable, the fictionalized version of Mr. Braithwaite accepts a suggestion from a stranger and applies to work as a teacher at an underprivileged neighborhood’s high school. Determined not to let the rough behavior of the students break him, “Sir” teaches the students to respect themselves and each other during the final months before they head out into the workforce.

Interestingly, Mr. Braithwaite lived to be 104 years old. Although his high school teaching career was brief, he went on to author other books about his experience with racism, served as a diplomat to the United Nations, and before he retired, taught English at Howard University in Washington D.C.

Week 2: Laughs, Luck … and Lucy by Jess Oppenheimer

What could be more fun than a book about beloved sitcom I Love Lucy?

As a matter of fact – if you love the history of radio and TV production – this is it. Because I Love Lucy takes up less than half of the story.

This is Jess Oppenheimer’s memoir. His family bugged him for years to write one. He got started, but death got in the way. (His.) So his son Gregg took a leave of absence and made sure that the book was completed and published.

The timing of Jess Oppenheimer’s life was such that he was involved in both the early years of radio and then the early years of television. The stories he tells are amazing – as producers, writers, and technicians simply figure out how to do things (and, often hilariously how not to do do things) to put on a good show.

Oppenheimer explains the technical side of production, the political side of being a producer, and goes heavy on the stories about the many stars he worked with over the decades, including of course, Lucy and Desi.

Week 3: The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel

This book is amazing. Both the true story of the North Pond Hermit and the details about how the author got the particulars for this story, bit by bit.

Could you imagine living alone – completely alone – deep in the Maine woods for 27 years?

The problem with this lifestyle is that Chris Knight did not have any way to survive without stealing. Starting when he was 20 years old, he broke into seasonal cabins near his nearly hidden campsite.

The fact that Knight felt guilty for stealing, and only took what he needed to survive, at first touched my heart. But he also took a battery-operated TV, handheld video games, and liquor. So there’s that.

It was only seven years ago that Knight was caught red-handed and moved from his extreme isolation to a crowded jail. As the author enters the scene, we learn bit by bit what led Knight into his solitude, how he survived, the different types of hermits who’ve existed around the globe, and the opportunities for a future back in society.

I messaged my sister-in-law Linda to ask if she’d read this book. Not only did she read it, she and Harry live about 20 miles away from the North Pond Hermit’s site of seclusion. This is a fascinating read and one which will leave you thinking about whether – and how – Knight should pay restitution for his crimes.

Week 4: Cloris by Cloris Leachman

Wow, Cloris. You’ve been busy!

My knowledge of Cloris Leachman’s career was limited to the The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Young Frankenstein. Her career, though, included Broadway, a string of films (including an Oscar), and loads of TV appearances.

Plus she had five children. And an on-again off-again marriage with George Englund, who helped write this memoir.

Leachman shares her life’s story in a stream-of-consciousness style that can be a bit confusing. She claims several times she is a free spirit and doesn’t want to use chapters, yet there are chapters throughout. I kept wondering if there wasn’t an editor working closely enough with the authors to make sure the narrative moved along evenly. A good editor could have also helped smooth the rough edges where Cloris’s self-discovery came off as a bit too braggy.

That said, the individual stories about Leachman’s life were often fun and always intriguing. She’s led a full life!

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