Everywhere I look, I see articles about the "destruction" of the American dream, "destruction" of wealth, "evaporation" of wealth, and now articles also about raging tidewaters washing houses away, describing the destruction of large second homes on lakes. "That house had everything," the crying owner was reported as saying. "Now it's all gone."
Besides the "destruction" of wealth, people are beginning to think twice before hopping on a plane, prices being what they are. We won't be able to travel like we used to.
I wonder if this is maybe not such bad news as we may have thought. Maybe we'll start living where we really live, and not endlessly driving around in circles, looking for life.
I remember my official best friend, in the days when we still did things together, had a tendency to want to hit every hot spot, looking for the best scene in town. She spent more time looking than she ever did enjoying. After two or three places, being encouraged to down yet another drink so we could go check out yet another club - "So-and-so said he'd be there, for sure. . . ." I'd finally tell her to go on without me.
In many ways, she's still looking.
Meanwhile, an old friend of mine finds himself getting pushed out of Manhattan. His Brooklyn Heights apartment is going condo and his Manhattan office rental overhead is tripling. He's worried, but I think he's seeing the possibility of reducing his overhead by living where he really wants to live (way out on Long Island) and maybe even working out there. With less overhead, it might just work. For years, he's felt imprisoned by his monthly overhead, which then demanded a certain income. Now, with an overhead that continues to increase well beyond any possible income stream he can generate, he's stepping off the merry-go-round.
I think that's good news. No - wait a minute - great news!
I think we're all about to get off the merry-go-round, one way or another. The sky's the limit, though. I really see this as good news. We couldn't have kept going the way we were going. We were killing ourselves.
Now what, I wonder?
Maybe we'll live where we work and eat what grows in the same area and hang out with our neighbors. Maybe. Is it really necessary to have mangetout* from South Africa in the local Giant foodstore? Probably not. Especially when fresh, sweet, corn is coming into season!
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*otherwise known as snow peas. . . .
2 comments:
Great post! We move every two years, so I think it's a shame not to learn about where you live, or to be everywhere but home. We thought about taking a cruise before this next deployment, but we would both be happy taking a small road trip to Atlanta or back to Savannah.
Maybe we need to have more picnics...
picnics, indeed! right you are, Lee Anne. We're trying to be a whole lot more casual about get-togethers. Sharing a meal is just that: sharing a meal, not putting on a big to-do. . . so much so that you neither share - nor enjoy - the meal! you're too busy readying the presentation of the next course. . . . or traveling back and forth to the kitchen.
sigh.
We can be so ridiculous.
Ah well - we'll get it right one of these days! grin.
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