Huh? The hell you talking about? You… Me… Things we said “I’ve always wanted to _______.” Too late, can’t. Too old. Don’t have the money now. Too far. Too many steps. Not enough time. We can’t. Are you crazy? Do that? NOW?
Visiting with a coworker yesterday. Very nice, smart lady. Was talking about her kid’s sports.. Maybe somewhat teasingly bemoaning the time involved with it all. Old guy (uh huh) chimed in “Oh, but, please.. Enjoy these times for they’re gone in a flash.” “Good, I can’t wait… get ‘em outta here.. I’ll get me a dog.”
She was teasing…….. I think.. Point being though, we take crap for granted. Good crap. We don’t take in a deep breath and say to ourself “Geez my life is a camera.. I couldn’t thinka any other place on the planet I’d rather be than right here, in the here and now.”
She laughed when she told me about the wanting a dog.. And I know it was facetious.. So I shared an email I got yesterday with her… “If you locked a wife and a dog in the trunk for an hour, which one would be glad to see you when you opened it?”.. Hehe.. Liked.
Victor, you talked “too late” then you started rambling, got off course like you always do. Oh, yeah. That. You see, I’m old. I’ve done a lot - but there’s so, so much more I would like to do/have done - but many things, it’s too late. We go on living, putting dreams, wants, whims, on the back burner - then, ‘afor ya know it, we’re too old, can’t reach the back burner.. Ain’t got enough funds, energy, time…maybe ain’t even gotta partner.
Cruise to Alaska? Make it happen. Salsa lessons? Get out the phone book. Volunteer in Africa? Ask around at church. Kid in sports? Take pictures. Keep your mind there. Look around, SEE. REMEMBER IT. ENGULF yourself in it.
I say screw bucket lists. Do ‘em. Live ‘em. Ok, writing down wants is cool, but damnit, make it happen - for one day it will be too late. When one is young, moves swiftly, anywhere/any way you wanna - tis hard to think of the day coming when that no longer is true. Trust me, it’ll happen. And it comes fast.
So I vote - visualize that want. Talk about it. Learn about it. See yourself doing that want. Then, take whatever steps need to happen to make it happen. Or, it’ll be too late.
House at the lake? Fast forward to poor savings and being fitty-seven, never gonna happen. If you’re 23, and you want it… hell yeah - plan. Then one day - do/have. Tired of being an accountant, wanna teach? DO IT. One day, too late. Not practical? Screw that, work a 2nd job tending a motel front desk. Suffer a tad for jubilation later. Later comes, but if no plan, later simply happens and the wants float on down the river.
“If I’da known then what I know now.” Screw that statement. It’s within all of us. Some have the gettyup and go, some ain’t.
I’d grade my life of ‘wants’ about a C. I suffered some financially ‘cause I found myself in jobs I didn’t wanna be in - so I vamoosed. Sure, got the regrets now of no huge 401K - but along the way I’ve met so many nice folks, enjoyed going to work every day - many trade offs for not having the almighty dollars.
Lot of things I wanted to do and didn’t, and perhaps even sadder - many things I DID do, didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time - and took the hours for granted.
I’m leaving now ‘cause I’m even boring myself. Main points. Dare. Do. And when you do, take pictures with the brain. Enjoy. Immerse. Realize how lucky you are to be doing that want.
That’s it. That’s all folks. Before it’s too late. Love, Victurd.
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