What I’m Gonna Do
I was gonna write a new post but decided on this re-run from January 2013
Here is a nice thing about getting old; there are so many less things for me to be jealous about.
When I was younger I used to admire other peoples large beautiful homes. Now I think how glad I am to not have to heat that mother, clean that bugger, and maintain that monstrous yard.
There was a time when I wished I had that big yacht to go cruising or fishing whenever I wanted. Now I wince just thinking of the time and effort it takes to keep a boat running and seaworthy.
I once wanted to learn to fly and own a plane. Now I think, “What a lot of work.”
Back in the days when I desired stuff…stuff I could never afford, I had to settle for what I was “Gonna do.”
When anyone visited my house I would tell them what I was “gonna do.”
“Oh yes, the house is small, but I'm gonna blow out the kitchen to add an eat-in area, and put in all new restaurant quality appliances. The master bed room is gonna look great when we add the walk-in closet which will set over the new recreation room we are gonna add off the dining room. The grass in the back looks awful, but you will not even notice it after we put in the pool and patio. As soon as we get the time we are gonna do all that and more.”
“Oh yes, the house is small, but I'm gonna blow out the kitchen to add an eat-in area, and put in all new restaurant quality appliances. The master bed room is gonna look great when we add the walk-in closet which will set over the new recreation room we are gonna add off the dining room. The grass in the back looks awful, but you will not even notice it after we put in the pool and patio. As soon as we get the time we are gonna do all that and more.”
People were never impressed with my house, but they thought the stuff we were “gonna do” was terrific.
There was a time when I was gonna own a house at the shore, on the bay side, with a dock and a 32 footer (those really big boats were too much trouble.)
I was gonna have a plane so I could play a different golf course every weekend…when I had the time. Oh yea, I was gonna start playing golf again and get my game down to a 10 handicap.
I was gonna do all these things as soon as I had the time (and the money.) It seems I never had the time (or the money.) Now that I am retired and have the time, I just do not have the desire or the inclination (or the money) for any of those things.
Mrs. C and I are perfectly happy with our two bedroom town house. Yard maintenance is done for us. When it snows, the walks and the driveway are shoveled by elves. We have a community pool which we seldom use, and tennis courts which we never us. The town house is just the right size; were not gonna do anything to it.
We enjoy our little vacation trips, going out to dinner and watching TV. Then there are grandchildren. I have five. I am very proud of them all. Tommy is gonna be a lawyer, Halley is gonna be a ballet dancer unless she becomes a Senator, Graham is gonna be a doctor, Cole is gonna be a major league baseball player and Connor is gonna be an architect.
Gonna be pretty impressive don’t cha think?
Love this post. Especially the last paragraph. :)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I remember the house with too many bedrooms and huge staircase that demanded fancy clothes so that I could walk down like they do on film. I am so pleased with my smallish bungalow and no stairs.
ReplyDeleteSo if nothing else you have blessed your grandchildren with the "gonna" gene?
ReplyDeleteI think it is very true that we leave all that wanting and envying behind at a certain point and just enjoy what we have. (If we are lucky).
Agree completely Joe. It's ironic we spend most of our lives coveting things we can't, for various reasons (money) have, then when the time comes when we CAN have those things, we don't want them anymore. I actually did once upon a time have a large home, and it probably impressed some people, but one day I woke up and said, "this place is a pain in the ass", so I sold it, downsized, and haven't looked back. The single greatest thing about getting older is IMO the ability to be perfectly happy with less.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a comfy time of life isn't it? We\'ll let all the other people list their 'goon's'.....and settle happily for what we have.
ReplyDeleteI never had the "gonna gene". I was a sixties flower child, now there wasn't drugs involved, and I was a bath a day type, also I worked from an early age but, I knew that stuff wasn't that important. We bought the modest house from the start and are retired in it today. I should also add, we were seek first the Kingdom of God believers, and yes, we have had some amazing provisions.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky. Early on my Dad taught me that one never bought a boat, swimming pool or polo pony -- you just cultivated a friend who all ready had them and wanted to share. I got to enjoy, they were stuck with the maintenance. Worked for me:)
ReplyDeleteYou are doing it right, Joe. What we want when we're young isn't what we need when we're old. Spot on.
ReplyDeleteI've a new website: Comedy Plus
Have a great day. ☺
This is lovely. Thanks for a good read.
ReplyDeleteAll of our 'gonna do' just cost a bunch of money and made more work. I do like the deck, however, the wind and rain does the cleaning.
ReplyDeleteYes, what you have done is impressive. Perhaps someday i can have a small house!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you reran this post since I wasn't reading your blog in 2013 (my loss!). A friend asked us yesterday if we had plans for when our place becomes too much work. (Frankly, every place we've lived in had too much work!) Would we do condo living? Small home living? Who knows...I do know that I don't need a ton of stuff to own, maintain, or pay for. I'm not adverse to leaving a ton of crap for my kids to go through after I'm in heaven however. Payback for leaving all their crap when they moved out.
ReplyDeleteGreat ending! But you did write a book, so that's a Gonna Do that most who say it, Don't!
ReplyDeleteYes, I am pretty impressed with your gonna-grandchildren. I'm hoping you're gonna figure out Mrs. C's penmanship on those grocery lists one of these days.
ReplyDeleteGonna-be and Gonna-do are rough places to live.
ReplyDelete