Originally posted by Uncle Dave:
The really smart ones are the ones who are happy in their jobs, and respected by family and friends. Money means nothing.
You're right UD, because family and health always come first for me. I have never quite understood the mentality of "keeping up with the 'Joneses'," and I have steadfastly refused to try.
Having enough money to live comfortably is definitely important to me though. It allows me to take care of my family so that they don't have to want for anything.
"Enough" in my way of thinking is probably a bit modest by some standards though. I'm basically grateful and happy for the roof over the head ( with heat for the cold winters, the refrigerator full of food, and the old wrecks that get me where I need to go. I look at that as being rich, actually. For me, musical instruments are and have always been so much a part of my life, that they don't feel like luxuries to me, but I would part with them in a minute if it meant buying food for my family. I've been there before, and remember when I couldn't afford a decent instrument, so I played on whatever my modest means allowed me to have at the time. It's taken many years of hard work, with a bit of good fortune to be able acquire the instruments I have now. ( Good fortune in the sense that for quite a bit of time neither I or my immediate family had had any catostrophic events occur, such as major illness, natural disasters, etc ) .
My health has declined a bit recently, so I try to appreciate each day and make the most of it. I have a cervical spinal injury that I will never completely recover from, but... I stay as active as possible. My one fear is that I may lose sensation in my hands to the point where I can no longer play the keys very well if at all. At this point though, I can still do mostly everything that I want, but I have to be a little more careful in how I do it. I try to look at it as a glass half full kinda thing. Before any of this happened, I focused harder than I should have on work work work.. even though it was never really about the money. It was more a "pride" thing..( perhaps a bit foolish at that ). What I have in front of me now has taught me to stop and smell the roses, spend more time with family, and play more music, so I look at it as something that has taught me what is important.
AJ
[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 04-11-2003).]