I have spent the past two days doing nothing. That is, I didn’t do anything I was supposed to do. On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I didn’t even take a shower.

Why would I write about doing nothing? Because, for me, this is extraordinary. I was introduced to my fiancé, Sprite, by a mutual friend. He told her, “Every move Alan makes has a purpose.” I agree with him.

I grew up with many fixed ideas. Some of those ideas, such as “you must save money each year”, have turned out to be helpfu...