So this morning, we returned the car, stopped at I-Hop for a 55+ breakfast and drove through some neighborhoods to sight see. Nice homes here in Punta Gorda. Then we returned home and, as you can see, I immediately got online and Mike immediately got on the Harley for a cruise around the block or two or three. Yep, we are eager to get to work! Well, you know, we're retired and we do what we want when we feel like it. That's the way this retirement works. Oh, we'll get our work done but it's still morning and we have all day. (Plus, we live in a small home.) If you young people knew what Mike and I have discovered, you would realize that "having stuff" is not all it's cracked up to be. We are most happy when we are in our little two (three if you count the garage/walk in closet area) room house. If only we had known this before we built a 2000 square foot house. Two thousand square feet house is not that big, by most standards, but it's still more space than is necessary to be happy and survive and live comfortably. Our "summer" home is smaller than most. It's just a two bed/two bath house with a large open area divided into corners. What? you ask. Well, we have our music corner, our living area corner, our office corner and our kitchen corner. I bet you have rooms for these different aspects of your home. Nope, we have corners. We like to be different, you see.
Living/music corners
Office/Kitchen corners
Oh yeah, the green room for get-togethers
That's it, but it doesn't take even this much for us to be happy. We are not "high maintenance" people. We enjoy just a simple way of life. (And that, my friends, is how we are able to retire at an early age.) We keep it simple. We are not extravagant. We try never to waste money on things we don't need. Yes, we have our toys, but that's part of our retirement. Our wardrobe consists of shorts, jeans, tee-shirts, tennis shoes and flip flops. We shop good will and consignment shops. Most people work so hard to have the biggest, and the best and the most of whatever. Yeah, we like nice things, but we have discovered that it doesn't have to take everything you have in the bank plus some to be happy. So remember that kids. Don't allow yourselves to be stressed all the time over going in debt for "stuff". Be happy. Enjoy life. We don't have to be on the go all the time to be happy. We can be happy just walking around the neighborhood or riding our bicycles around the neighborhood. We can be happy eating a bologna sandwich instead of always eating out and drinking water instead of colas. Next winter, we have decided to stay in Zephyr Hills where everything we want to do is within walking distance. Think what we will save on gas.
Sorry, don't know how I got off on this subject but someone must have needed to hear it. So I'm leaving it as is. I'll try not to be so serious next time. Now, as one of our favorite bands, the Trailer Park Troubadours so elegantly put it :
There's a lot to be said about contentment. Some folks can never get enough.
Let me ask you, honey, which is better--a mansion full of money or a trailer full of love.
There's a lot to be said about acceptance. Liking who you are and having peace of mind.
The secret to being happy with your life now, Baby. I'm pretty happy here in lot number 9.
Living in aluminum. Living in aluminum.
I don't have a house of vinyl. I don't have a house of wood.
There ain't no better way to test your metal than a semi-precious metal neighborhood.
There you have it. Words of wisdom.
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