When I’m not writing Nobel Prize-winning pieces of literature, when I am not delivering Meals- on-Wheels to the needy of our community, when I am not singing in the choir, giving my opinions in Sunday school, and warning little children not to run in the church … when I am not doing all these things, I am running my income tax business.
One would think with all these other hats I wear, that my tax preparation business would be insignificant. After all it’s only about three and a half months of the year. We’ve been watching that giraffe on Facebook a lot longer than that. For those who don’t Facebook, she was pregnant … forever. Finally, after the “friends” started taking up a collection to get her a C-section, she gave birth the other day when most of us had given up the live-feed and gone on to more interesting things … like how to make a cinnamon roll filled with tuna.
Anyway, it seems that the three and a half months that I am house-bound doing taxes, the world seems to pass me by. When I go into seclusion in my office, Christmas decorations are still on the houses. I don’t have to scrape ice from the windshield of my car during January and February because I don’t get to leave the house very often. Some years I see a little snow, sometimes a little rain, but mostly I just see the street out front as the seasons change. With Spring the weeds begin to grow in the yard, the asparagus sprouts in the flowerbed, and the kids across the street grow taller and start to leave their coats at home.
April finally got here the other day. I looked outside and the grass was green, the trees had lost their blossoms and grown leaves. The birds were swooping down at me because I was someone they had never seen before, standing on my front porch squinting in the bright sunlight.
I missed the arrival of the Three Wisemen in January. I was surprised when I got a Valentine from a friend in February. It had totally sneaked up on me, and I was embarrassed that I had not reciprocated.
A few weeks ago, I got out some bunnies and some ceramic eggs to try and fool my clients into thinking that I knew what was going on. I don’t work on the weekends, so I did make it to church for Easter and really enjoyed the celebration of the Resurrection. Secretly, I enjoyed it because Easter was marking the end of tax season this year and my parole was near.
Today, as I write this, six o’clock just dinged on my cell phone. It’s over. I’m free. For the next eight months, I can do what I want, when I want, where I want. Oh, I have a bunch of “extensions” to deal with, and there will always be a few stragglers who will drop by to do their taxes they should have done back in 2007, but the “season” is finished. I used to feel this way when I was teaching and the last bell rang in May.
By December 15th, I’ll be gearing up for the next round. I’ll be looking forward to solving puzzles and seeing old friends. My bank account will be depleted, and the idea of making a little extra spending money will entice me to clean out the office, load the new software, and test the printer. But … right now. I’m smiling.
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