Too Tired

July 6, 2012


Today I had an idea for a blog entry.  It had to do with defining "the good life" and thinking about what sort of advice one might give to relatives or off-spring about understanding what makes a good life, and how  one would  achieve this.  I want to remember this so I can write about it later, but right now I'm too tired. I have a busy 2 weeks coming up - family visiting, social gathering, and surgery pretty much in that order.  I hope I can address all of these issues.

Aug. 15, 2012

So my surgery is done, but I will be starting PT in a few weeks.  Not looking forward to that, but I have to if I want to get full mobility back and heal and experience less pain. So far there have been no complications.  It has been very warm - in the 90's for the last few weeks, cooling a little in the evening, but unpleasant, humid, and hot for the most part.  Which brings me to my topic i.e. The Good Life.  We all have a vision of what life might be like if we won the lottery or maybe most of us.  However, I've never thought of writing that dream down so maybe I'll do that now.  

First I'd have more money than I'd actually needed, nice home, maybe some house keeping help once or twice a week.  I'd have a good reliable auto not more than 2 years old and all paid for. In addition a second vehicle for recreation either a van or large suv  I'd have a savings account, with a good buffer, nice clothes,  and maybe a good job with a good salary and benefits.   That's sort of mundane, I know.  So what's more exciting - not sure.  I'd love to have AC and not be afraid to use it.  I'd love to have someone cook for me, but I'm not sure that's part of a "good life", but it might be nice.  But heat and AC are important and animals.  I want a house full with a nanny just for the animals so I can play and someone can clean the litter box, vacuum the rug, etc.  But if I had a dog I think I'd like to do the walking.  It would be good for both of us.  A yoga or exercise class and exercising 2-4 times a week would be good for me.  Then I'd like to write short stories about my cats and other animals and maybe a book.  I also want music in my house, CD's, radios, ipod, computers, and occ concerts away from home.  

Travel would be good, but I find it somewhat exhausting so maybe only one trip a year or every other year.  I'd also like to spend lots of fun time with my grandchildren.  I hope I live long enough to see what sort of life they each make for themselves.  Some good jewelry to leave to my grand kids and my daughter and something special to give my son-in-law or leave to him.  I might buy a car for Lily or give her my old one some time so she'd have one for school.   

Why am I writing all this, because I think my desires are moderate and my dreams aren't a millionaire's life, but just a comfortable one.  I'd also like to be able to donate large sums to charities especially animal charities although there are so many needy causes from helping the elderly to college students to homeless kids and adults and veterans or kids in foster care.   If you give a dollar to 100 charities will it be of any use or is it better to give  $100 to just one charity or maybe $50 to 2 of them?  I don't know, but if I had millions I'd still have to decide which to support and which to ignore.  Or maybe I could rotate through several each year.  I can see where being wealthy or even just comfortable can force some difficult choices on one unless one gives it all away and is no longer wealthy.  I'd also like to do some volunteer work with animals or infants in the NICU of a hospital.  

So even being wealthy or comfortable wouldn't remove the difficult decisions I would have to make. In fact it might make it harder because I haven't even yet considered what I would do about relatives who are having problems since I do have several of them too.  Still if I won the lottery for a million or more I wouldn't
decline my winnings.

In the final analysis I believe that "the good life" means having friends, having
enough money to educate your children or at least help with the tuition, pay my
bills, buy things I need, live in a decent apartment or house, own a reliable car and have a substantial savings account.  Yes money is important as well as necessary. It would be frosting on the cake if I had a good job that I also liked and paid decent wages too allowing me to save part of it each week.  I guess part of it would include a child or 2 maybe.  I'll have to think about that one.  Adoption??