We inhabit a list that is based on at least one small form of rampant
consumerism, often beyond reason, and for many of us that is no
hardship. It is unfortunate when you have to begin downsizing your
lifestyle and I do feel a little smug about that perhaps, having
commenced it in my early forties. That's when I decided to raise my
family in what some would regard as a retirement cottage. I think
that it was around that time that I began to buy good quality second
hand clothes and I've always run old cars, managing to live
reasonably well but frugally (apart from spending large lumps on
lenses at times, of course).
I am surrounded by friends and colleagues who went the other path and
kept themselves poor by exchanging one huge mortgage for a larger
one, one new car for a newer one, much as my parents did. Now they
find themselves inhabiting cavernous 'homes' that they can't afford
to keep and complaining about the rising price of fuel and meals out.
Their Toyota Landcruiser pseudo-4WD with the plastic guards and
metallic paint is sitting listlessly at the back of the used car
dealer's lot instead of running the kids to and from a private
school. I still live in that same house which is now an ideal size
and is long paid off. My children got a decent education at the local
public school and weren't inducted or excluded from any particular
elite. I run two cars, both elderly, on alternative fuels and neither
is a a Roller (which I'm sorry Larry, has to mitigate sympathy
somewhat) and if all sources of income dried up tomorrow, I could
live reasonably well by my own standards. In fact have no idea what
my house might be worth. Increases in prices of fuel are no more than
an irritation - and can be met with minor adjustments. As a teacher,
I've always been able to find work relatively close to home, but that
was also a conscious decision. If I need to travel the 50km to the
city, I take a train which doesn't take that much longer, is safer,
less stressful and affords me the opportunity to read while moving. I
can afford satellite which allows me the simple pleasure of watching
Manchester United crush all opposition - it may well sublimate the
urge to declare war on someone or other.
This probably sounds a bit smug and of course I got lots of other
things utterly wrong. It would certainly not suit everyone but we
can all make choices to avoid, dodge and sidestep the particular
roller coaster called the 'consumer society.' There are a lot of
choices that many of use simply refuse to make or even just can't
'see'. Bitching about one tiny symptom such as having to pay for
fuel about what the rest of the world has been paying for decades is
foolish.
'Heating Oil'?!! Good grief. I haven't seen anyone doing anything
that silly in 25 years. Don't you have gas? Did you really think that
cheap oil and petrol was going to last forever? Consider yourself
lucky that you had it for so long.
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 13/05/2008, at 12:54 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:
>
> Larry,
>
> Having been retired for the last sixteen years, and looking to
> stretch my
> present resources so that my wife and I don't outlive them, you can be
> assured that I don't find any amusement in the situations that prudent
> people are now finding themselves in. While some can be blamed for
> falling
> for easy credit schemes that have led to their downfall, many
> others have
> suffered for no fault of their own.
>
> Good luck in making the best of an unfortunate situation.
>
>
>
>>
>> Moose wrote:
>>> I find the fierce and unflagging negativism of his viewpoint
>>> and his expressed experience of life quite enjoyable, bracing, even.
>>>
>>>
>>> Moose
>> I realize I'm on a list that finds they'll never have a problem
>> for the
>> rest of their lives surviving no matter how high costs rise. Most
>> lifestyles here aren't affected in the slightest by gas/home
>> heating oil
>> costs, and might even only notice it because the media is making
>> such an
>> annoying stink about it. I mean "$1.50 a gallon, $5.50 a gallon -
>> what's
>> the big friggin' deal. Its hardly an increase, and my company pays my
>> healthcare for the rest of my life!"-or some such thoughts.
>>
>> But finding it "enjoyable" that I've had to start selling off the few
>> things I have in order to keep my home for maybe another year or so,
>> sucks, and sounds like you're looking at success in life as if it
>> is all
>> about "hard work", and "choices we make" or "we make our own
>> success or
>> failure" types of ridiculous mantras. None of these are truisms, or
>> hard & fast rules in any way. So, I'm happy that my difficulties that
>> have magnified themselves over the last 7-8 years or so have been so
>> exciting to you. Its great that my opinions formed from my
>> experiences
>> give you greater entertainment than people fervently fighting over a
>> flat rubber thing being smacked around. Especially since so many
>> millions are spent to hype people into thinking its actually
>> engaging to
>> stare at.
>>
>>
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