Topic of Conversation

My clients are from South Africa and this is apparently a popular style of house there. It is unique, large, and quite beautiful, full of most interesting furniture and art work. I have worked here many times over the years and enjoy the people and their secluded and very picturesque estate. Yesterday's photo was taken just in front of my truck.

It seems that everywhere I go these days, people are asking me how work is. By that, they mean to inquire about the amount of work, if any, that I have. This is common in an economic recession. But what are the motives? It could be that they want to compare their situation to mine. Or they might want to get a handle on but one more indicator of how the economy is doing locally. Or they might be concerned for me. My standard answer is that I going week to week, day to day. Gone are the days of being booked up for months ahead of time. And then I add that my time off is just a practice for retirement and practice makes perfect and I will therefore have a perfect retirement because I am getting lots of practice. And then I inquire about their situation and I discover that not many people I know are suffering in this time of economic trouble. This is a good thing, but is not the reality everywhere in Canada or in the USA.
I have always said that being self-employed is a life of living by faith. It has stretched me in so many ways and after many years of realising that worrying will not improve anything, I find myself not worrying. I am developing a new worry, however. I enjoy the days off so much that when I do get a job, I am reluctant to do it. Now that is something to worry about, unless of course, I am officially retired, which I am not.