Walking around a big box store earlier today, I slowly made my way over to the book and music section. Finding no books of interest, I began to rifle through a stack of records. They were in no particular order, spanning every music genre and several decades from the Beatles to Sabrina Carpenter. As I made my way through the choices, I began to realize something sobering and a bit depressing.
Every other record I held in my hands featured a singer who died years ago or relatively recently. Michael Jackson, Prince, Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), all gone and no longer making music for us to enjoy. Further browsing would’ve unearthed several more examples.
Once I’m able to work through any feelings of self pity and melancholia, I’ve found these moments almost always provide a sense of clarity and thankfulness. I’m thankful for the level of genius exhibited by the artist of the album in my hands. The tinge of sadness is replaced with an appreciation for the contribution they made in the world and my ability to continue enjoying it.
When we’re young, we can’t wait to be older. As we grow older, we look longingly on what it was like to be young. It’s harder to remain in the present, especially with so many reminders of people from our past who are no longer among us. We’re inevitably striving toward a goal that, once achieved, will be immediately replaced with another goal. Goals are always great to have but making sure you’re not creating an unending cycle of misery for yourself is equally important.
This is especially true as it relates to money. No matter what our bank balance reflects, there’s never enough to satiate our desire for more. This desire can be healthy or it can overtake our every thought. Keeping a nice balance in the time we’re given to make our mark may just be the key to happiness.
Making what we need to thrive during our working years while squirreling enough away in order to enjoy our non-working years takes patience, effort and planning. Money matters but it’s not everything. Some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met have very little while the opposite is true for those with more zeros in their bank accounts.
I had a friend ask me recently if I’d rather have a statue erected in my honor or a building named after me. My answer was, “neither,” I’d rather have my daughters look at a picture of our family with fondness and a twinge of longing for what has been and will never be again. Although slightly painful at first, happy memories have a way of shining a bright light that’s difficult to fully extinguish.
The impending ice storm descending on most of the country provides a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Unless you’re browsing Amazon, the ability to spend money will be placed on hold.
Break out a deck of cards, checkers or a board game and get to work enjoying the simple pleasures life has to offer.
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