Complicating the Obvious - Prose
Too often we as human beings look outside ourselves for our sources of happiness. The words of this poem and the meaning behind it are becoming cliche in that I think people are getting tired of hearing about how their "things" don't bring them happiness. The bigger problem as I see it is in the expectancy for being given an alternative to the "things" that are just as tangible.
I do not exclude myself from this in anyway. I'm in no ivory tower screaming to the throngs of what they do wrong. No sir, I'm right here with everyone else face-to-face wanting to understand what's going on as well.
What I will share with you is my findings that "things" can be instruments of happiness. The true sentiment must however come from within. The most important item of concern is evaluating the true cost of that "thing" and conciously deciding if it is truly worth it.
I have a rather nice home and some nice cars. I have nice things in the nice home as well. I enjoy having these "things." I will also tell you the cost of obtaining them was far too high. I was so head long into "providing" and buying that I overlooked the fact that I wasn't home for my children. I was so focussed outside my life that it left without me. And I was left alone with a great big toy chest.
I came to the realization over time that with the way I was going, when I died my toys would be divided up and I would be forgotten. I think I would much prefer my stories be shared and my toys be forgotten.
The proof in the truth of the near cliche represented by this poem came when I told Sunrise I wanted to sell everything, get out from under our obligations, and that I wanted to have less and enjoy each other more. She responded with "okay." It was only one word and it told me volumes about what really was important and what I had missed out on for years because I believed all the marketing hype about what we should be doing to be happy.
Our home and almost everything in it is either for sale or sold. We've not carelessly turned around and radically thrown caution to the wind. We have sat and developed a plan after defining what is important to us. After deciding what it is we want together. We have a plan and we feel good about following it together.
