Memorial Day is here. This holiday is an interesting one for me, because I have had a lot of family members in the service. Even more so interesting, I used to not care, like a lot of things in life. Maybe as a kid things tend to not mean so much, as much as the thing in front of you.
This was hot dog eating day, and when I was a little older, beer drinking day, but the weight of what this day is now gets heavier every year I am alive. I think I am slowly putting it in the correct prospective, and by the time I am 30, it will be more correct still.
Today we honor the troops that died while wearing this country’s uniform and the brothers who had to carry that sacrifice back home with them. For families who had to put up that gold star, who had to receive a flag, who feel an immense emptiness today, my heart goes out to you.
I do not understand such pain, as I have no immediate family there now – my family has reached some sort of middle class platitude – all the kids my age are in college or out. That was for my family in the past. I believe my father was the last person who served.
I don’t think I will ever understand it, outside of me losing my child to war. Even with my lack of understanding, I do emphasize as best I can. Loss is very painful. Even if that loss meant something. For the most part, even that ideal they fought for wont keep us warm at night, can’t deliver good news or even call and say hello every Sunday.
So today, those mothers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, and fathers should be made to feel at least a piece of what they lost from our communities today. We should all go and talk to anyone who has lost, including those who have served and lost a brother in arms.
At the very least – offer them a hug and an extra hotdog today.
Origami book came last week. I find it interesting, because it sits right there next to me. I want to get it going, but like most things, I think I need to give it a context or it wont work. I have to forge it into my habit structure, and I feel like my willpower is too low.
The whole thing seems to improve memory function and allows for quicker thinking. These two things are neccessary if I am to make that move in a year or two. It would help with my writing, and help me do this comedy thing a little better.
As a matter of fact, the origami thing came with my quarterly package. I received a new Quarterly today. I like the service (quarterly.co) because it allows me to get a surprise every few weeks of things I may or may not need.
It is relatively cheap, and for the most part, the things are based around a few topics that I really like to engage in ( such as productivity and design). For everything I don’t use – one package came with a Japanese saw – I get a book on Seneca that really makes me think and impressed my boss a whole lot when he caught it on my desk.
As a matter of fact, that book may have saved my job. As odd as it seems. Either way, I do enjoy the sense of adventure, and the ability to make the most out of surprises. Everything I get feels like a bonus, so I want to capture that.
I like surprises.
Checking my finances once a day has been an interesting habit since i have taken it up. For one, I have saved myself a lot of trouble when I saw my card was stolen and I was short 500 dollars. It also helped me when I look and see my budgets for the month,
It allowed me to determine my budget, and since it automatically adjusts itself, I get to see just how much I spend and how much I save.
As scary as it sounds, I am close to spending what I get. Its a damning reality. Something I cannot afford to let go.
I am due a pay increase some time this year, and next July my loan from a year ago will be paid so I gain another 200 dollars a check. With Byron seeming like he will move in, it will allow me to pay off my credit cards and get this trip to DR paid for.
Once that whole process is done I should be reset. From that point, it becomes a question of when. Should I save ferociously? How long should I stay at my job until I make the change I want to being an independent? Should I just change my job to fit my standards? Try to get fired to create an unemployment situation?
Those questions will have to be answered as I cross that bridge. For now, I just have to work and get this money situation handled to the best of my ability.
I think the number I want to hit is 30 grand in the bank and 100k in my 401 – enough to pay off my student loans and act as a 10k buffer.
I plan on being a creative my entire life. No time for retirement funds.
Byron scares me a little bit. I wonder if he does want to do this. I must say, there is a selfish part of me who wants him here because he helps reset my bills and pays for my vacations – the rest of me wants him here because it will signal him taking this all seriously.
It will be a sign of him growing up and striking out on his own, making his own choices. I hope he accepts the challenge.
Do: 16/8 push ups 3 things wrap up CPAP
Don’t: meditation water vegetable juice thank you to do
From the desk of Adam Thomas 