Roy Bedichek’s routine

 Roy Bedichek, who wrote some wonderful letters, described his routine in retirement.

He went to bed not long after the sun set and usually got up at 4 a.m.

He’d get in three to five hours of writing, depending on how he felt about it. Then he’d run errands, perhaps a trip to the library or the store.

After lunch, he’d take an hour’s nap and go for a cold swim. The water at Barton Springs is brisk, even in summer.

After that, he’d do some gardening, lawn mowing or other physical labor.

For supper, he liked avocado and tomato salad on dry toast. He wrote:

At this juncture I begin to get ‘tired eyelids’ and soon close them upon tired eyes. Thus most days pass, with of course some friendly visits with friends, few but fit.

I like that last line about his friends. Bedichek liked a good conversation. “Fit” was his way of describing a person who could hold up one end of a dialog.

• Source: The Roy Bedichek Family Letters, selected by Jane Gracy Bedichek; Denton, Texas: University of North Texas Press, 1998, p. 409.