We passed dogs chasing balls, splashing, and barking joyfully. Jax greeted a large German Shepherd in passing — a quick sniff, no drama. Then, out of nowhere, a smaller Shepherd charged up. Jax turned to say hello, but this dog didn’t come in peace. He growled and snapped at Jax’s face and neck.

I’ve never really considered myself a book club person. I’ve been an avid reader my entire life—I read fast, and like most readers, I have my favorite genres. The idea of being assigned a book I might not be interested in, and then having to meet up with others to sit around and talk about it, didn’t exactly sound compelling.

But when my oldest daughter started a book club and asked me to join, I gave it a shot. At the very least, it was a good excuse to see her once a month—even if only via Zoom.

What will I do today? A whole day stretched out, with no obligations and no clock to race against. And the truth of it hit me: I’m retired. I have nothing to do.