Saturday, August 9, 2025
I wrote this last month. Originally, I wasn’t going to post it, and I’m really not sure why.
Maybe I just forgot about it.
I’m so happy right now.
I have nothing.
A tiny apartment, a car with 276,000 miles, and very little savings in the bank.
Yet, I’m so happy.
I’ll be fifty-five next month, and I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting over the past few years.
How long will I live?
How can I be better today than I was yesterday?
Do I want to be in another relationship?
When I look back, I notice a pattern—and maybe you’ve noticed this too.
There were times when I was so happy and doing well emotionally…
and then I’d start a new relationship.
At first, it was so good.
We were happy.
And then…
It was like when I was married.
Before we met, we were both happy and doing well—even though we were struggling financially.
Or so we thought.
Nothing bad. We just wanted more.
More and better things.
The things we sometimes measure our lives by.
The things a single income usually can’t afford.
At first, we drank canned beer and bottles of wine, just sitting on the front porch.
Rocking our cares away in the chairs.
We listened to ’80s music, with the occasional steak on the grill.
We didn’t go out.
We just enjoyed being together.
We laughed.
We dreamed.
We had fun.
Then we bought a house.
And a boat.
And that boat wasn’t good enough, so we bought another.
I had to have a new truck.
She needed a new car.
And little by little, we had less and less fun.
It was like each purchase sent us further and further apart.
Isn’t it funny how things can have such a dramatic effect on a relationship?
When I look back, some of the best times of my life were in a tiny apartment with a beat-up car.
I had nothing.
Nothing but my health—and a lot of laughter and fun.
It was the best of times.
WOW.
Every time I get greedy, the fun stops.
Greed.
Is it really the root of all evil?
I think so.
Maybe less really is more—after all.
