I have to admit; I live a pretty good life - I'm almost completely self-sufficient, I always seem to be surrounded by wonderful friends wherever I happen to be, I have an incredible family, extended and all and I have near total freedom in the things that I want to do.
Yet at the same time, I have almost zero financial security, no sense of cultural identity and I'm working in a job that while enjoyable, definitely won't be the one that sustains me for the rest of my life.
Still wouldn't have it any other way though. (^^)v
When I think about my Dad's life when he was how old I am now - the man was already married for 3 years, had a son of 2 years and another brat on the way in 6 months. He was working in an accountancy firm in which he would eventually take over and call his own, he had his own car and his own house. He had what most would call; a Real Grown Up Life. When he was my age now.
Right now, I am in no way anywhere near that magical level of maturity.
However, I'm seeing that more and more of my peers are. I'm at that age where it seems like my friends are all rushing out getting married and popping out babies and mortgages. When I ask them why they want to get married [from what I think is] so young... The most common reply seems to be so that they won't be too old to play with their kids, so that they can get started on their savings, settling down, etc... so that they can have the chance to retire early and comfortably...
To me, that always seems like thinking about the destination without considering the journey.
Sure, you can always take a plane and fly from point A to point B, most people do, and their lives are certainly no less happier from doing so. But drive and take the scenic route, you get to see things you never expected to see, experience the unexpected, savour new flavours, really take in the views, tackle the mountain roads, sweep the coastal highways. You might take a little longer, you might be more tired, haggard and even missing a few limbs at the other end. But it'd be hard to deny that you didn't learn a lil bit about yourself getting there.
I'm in no rush to get through my life...
- My Grandad taught me that you're Never Ever Too Young to play with your kids.
- The economy has taught me that the safest place to put your savings is down the back of your sofa.
- The homes of every retired person I have ever visited tend to smell a little strange, and in some cases, have this intense atmosphere of latent/desperate boredom. Yum.
- The attitudes of every self-made millionaire I have ever known teaches me that whatever career I settle on, had better be something I truly love doing. And once that happens - I'll not want to retire anyway.
And that's the point - It is said that you shouldn't work in a job that makes you look forward to the weekend - I want to find that something that makes me never want to look forward to retiring. It might take me a while, I might never find it, but I'm damn sure going to make sure I have fun trying.
I might not be as perceptably as far in life as my Dad was when he was my age.
But you know what?
The person who has probably supported me the most in all my adventures, who has never pressured me into heading back to England anytime soon, who made me feel the most at ease about leaving everything behind back when I first started. Whether or not he knew he was doing it at all.
That person was my Dad.
[Dammit! These entries are supposed to brief lil' nuggets... WIP.]
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