Perspective

Mrs. CM and I are not suffering during these tough economic times. In fact we are looking upon them as a tremendous opportunity to build long-term wealth. This is partly because our little area of the country has not been hard hit by the economic downturn, but also because we have given up many things in life to not become overextended as so many others have. We look in horror at the negative five percent savings rate in our country, and find security in our positive net worth. We also firmly believe that when people blame the government for their economic woes it is nothing but a refusal to take responsibility for their own personal actions. If you are in dire economic straights right now, it is very likely because you made poor financial and employment decisions. It is not the fault of GW Bush, or the United States Congress, although we too hold deep dissatisfaction with the performance of both. We have, in the past, been extremely poor. That was our fault, no one else’s.

I do recognize that financial security can be stripped from anyone at any time. Sometimes through absolutely no fault of the individual who looses it. We can loose our money, our homes, our possessions, our wealth, and the security that these things bring.

If the meaning of an entire life is based upon these material things, then it is all too easy to loose ones life. If ones life meaning is based upon any given thing outside of oneself, then it is all to easy to loose ones life. Holding as the most important part of life material possessions, anything outside of oneself, or anyone outside of oneself is a fundamental error of perspective. None of these things can be a major part of the meaning of our individual lives, so a rational perspective could never allow them to occupy the most important places within our lives.

We must, I think, if we want to survive and thrive in tough times find the meaning of our lives in things that we can control. In things that cannot be taken away from us by anyone, for any reason.

Thoughts and words do that for me. No matter what ever befalls me, I will always have the ability and occasion to read, and not just to read, but to read the very finest humankind has to offer. I can also never loose the ability and occasion to write. To drive myself to write in the very best way I know how. I can always, under any circumstances find meaning in thoughts and words, my own, and those of others. This is comforting to me.

I will admit that I do suffer from the same material desires as everyone else, perhaps even more so. I simply don’t give into those desires unless and until I can actually be reasonably assured of affording them long term. My wristwatch is probably the very best example of this. I spent a bit more than the first 30 years of my life absolutely refusing to wear a wristwatch. I refused to wear a wristwatch unless and until I could wear a Rolex wristwatch. Things worked out well for me, and I type this wearing my Rolex Oyster Datejust with gold and diamond accents. It does not though give my life meaning, my life would not be worse if I were forced to give up the watch for whatever reason. To feel that my life would be worse if I did not possess this fine watch would be to have a badly distorted perspective of life, and what is important within it.

I can though always possess the very finest words of man. Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Nin, Churchill. No one can take these away from me. Except perhaps senility, and may either God or man grant me a death with dignity before that occasion ever rears it’s terrifying head.