While watching the inauguration with some friends yesterday, we commented how strange it must be for an outgoing president to just go home and then… what? I’m sure that the Bushes are exhausted and will enjoy a bit of relaxation and settling into their new lives, but after having your life so very rigidly scheduled for eight years, how do you go back into a normal life? And what do you do with all of that new found free time?
I can’t even imagine what I would do. Read all the books I never got the chance to read and watch all the movies I never got to watch, perhaps. Most likely, I would just waste a lot of the time, as I managed to do with this long weekend. Of course, with traffic, I really couldn’t go anywhere, but all my plans to scan photos and organize things got waylayed by a sinus headache, a backlog on the DVR, and a few really good books.
Not that I’m complaining, of course!
Imagine that all your work and school responsibilities are suddenly gone. You still have some responsibilities, of course, to your family and your home, but what would you do? Let’s also assume you’ve got a bit of money so you can take a nice vacation but probably can’t go on a 6 month cruise around the world. What would you do?
I think I would go on a very quiet vacation, somewhere secluded where I could avoid the news and just relax and read and enjoy the peace and quiet. But I’m not sure what I would do when I got back home!
Hmmm…. If I was him I would get out of town, for more than one reason!!!
pinkrenegade, thanks for your comment, but this blog is non-partisan for a reason. I have always believed that regardless of whether or not you agree with a politician, they deserve the respect because of the office they hold. I try to keep politics out of my writing except for how it affects personal finance. This question was more about what would you do and not what should the former president do.