Foie Gras

Four recent events in my life have mingled to create a fearful racket in my head:

1. Watching The Beckoning of Lovely.

2. Visiting Las Vegas.

3. Attending *3* vacation time-share presentations in the past four months. (2 last month in Las Vegas, no less.)

4. Reading Your Money or Your Life.

The premise of The Beckoning of Lovely immediately spoke to me. It doesn't matter what you have, but what you choose to do with your life that matters. Each one of us can take the life we've been given and do something beautiful with it.

Visiting Las Vegas was an experience. I was thankful to have my camera in hand. It enabled me to focus (literally) on the beautiful and edit out the other 98%. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of foie gras. Forced excess. Even the beautiful was over the top, money spent on astounding luxury, much of it money that spenders couldn't rightly afford (yes, that is a strong personal opinion). With our nation (government and individuals) so highly in debt, with uncertain times ahead, with a world in need, it made me sick at times. LV sells personal gratification, magnified beyond description. And no seeing person can walk down the street and escape the propaganda.

Time-shares. I have nothing against time-shares in general, only the sales tactics. (Warning: another strong personal opinion ahead.) What they are really selling: entitlement and discontent with a liberal dose of guilt. Not going on regular vacations to Hawaii and Orlando with your family? Why, your family must not be a priority to you. Oh, and every family deserves that sort of vacation. And going on a road trip with a camp trailer, visiting family in another state, coordinating a family vacation with dad's business trip? Well, those aren't real vacations. Don't you want to stay in a luxurious resort on a tropical island every year? Or Europe? And if you don't take real vacations (as everyone must), you'll end up with a heart attack at age 45... (Yes, I know I'll be asked why we went to Las Vegas and why we attended time-share presentations... stories for another day.)

I could go on about this subject (vacations/time with family) for days. In fact, I have some posts (encouraging, believe it or not) brewing. Visitors to Mt. Hope Chronicles will also be hearing about Lovely for the rest of the year (and beyond.)

Your Money or Your Life is a very fascinating look at the way we think and feel about money. Rather than paint a black and white money-management system, this book goes to the heart of the matter.

Thoughts to ponder from the 1992 edition:

pg 15

We project onto money the capacity to fulfill our fantasies, allay our fears, soothe our pain and send us soaring to the heights. In fact, we moderns meet most of our needs, wants and desires through money. We buy everything from hope to happiness. We no longer live life. We consume it.

pg 16

A new art, science and industry was born to convince Americans that they were working to elevate their standard of living rather than to satisfy basic economic needs. In 1929 the Herbert Hoover Committee on Recent Economic Changes published a progress report on this new (and very welcome) strategy:

The survey has proved conclusively what has long been held theoretically to be true, that wants are almost insatiable; that one want satisfied makes way for another. The conclusion is that economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied...Our situation is fortunate, our momentum is remarkable.

Instead of leisure being relaxed activity, it was transformed into an opportunity for increased consumption--even consumption of leisure itself (as in travel and vacations). Henry Ford concurred:

Where people work less they buy more...business is the exchange of goods. Goods are bought only as they meet needs. Needs are filled only as they are felt. They make themselves felt largely in the leisure hours.

The Hoover Committee agreed. Leisure was not, in fact, a reason for not working. It was a reason for working more.

pg 25

Enough is a fearless place. A trusting place. An honest and self-observant place. It's appreciating and fully enjoying what money brings into your life and never purchasing anything that isn't needed and wanted.

pg 35

Indeed, some people would say that, once we're above the survival level, the difference between prosperity and poverty lies simply in our degree of gratitude.

(Emphasis mine.)

Whew. Enough words for today. I'll go back to posting quiet photos of peaceful moments tomorrow.