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A few days ago I found an old post I’d written six years ago entitled ’10 Things I Couldn’t Live Without’. Here’s what they were:
- Family & Friends
- Freedom
- The Power of Speech
- My Senses
- My Car
- Music
- Books
- My Dog
- Fast Food
- My Computer
My, how things change!
Sure, some of them are still valid today but when I wrote that I couldn’t live without my car, I was still perfectly fit and able to walk long distances. And yet still I thought I had to have a car. These days I couldn’t manage well without it but for different reasons – back then it was simply because a car made travelling easier than using my legs or public transport. Blame it on a mixture of laziness and a need to get everywhere fast.
Then there’s my computer. In 2002 I was working from home and dependent on it for my income so yeah, it was reasonable to list it. Nowadays I think I need my computer but I could live perfectly well without it. My excuse is that it allows me to easily keep in touch with family and friends but once upon a time I managed without one – I just used a pen and paper or picked up the phone. And if I’m honest, more often than not I don’t even want to chat online. I find it slow and tedious. However, I would miss the information that's available on the 'Net so giving up my computer isn't something I plan to do.
The one that amazes me most though, is fast food! I mean.... fast food? Did I really think I couldn’t live without McDonalds, KFC, kebabs, fish ‘n chips, pizzas and the rest? Of all the things that really matter I went and chose fast bloody food! Of course I can live without it and before I came back to the UK, I did. Yes, I had the occasional hotdog or burger from a pavement stand or kiosk but on the whole we ate what we made ourselves. And I'll admit that I still do have the odd portion of fish n' chips or a kebab but I tend to support local businesses these days rather than the big corporations a la McDonald's. I could have listed ‘fresh air’ or ‘peace and quiet’ or ‘contentment’ or ‘adventure’ or a myriad other things but I chose fast food (shakes head slowly is disbelieving manner). What on earth was I thinking of? I even listed it before my source of income!
But it just goes to show what six years can do to a girl, doesn’t it? Still, at least I didn’t list the telly or my mobile phone!
Sharon J
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8 comments:
Fancy some crispy strips?
Err... as a matter of fact, no. The prawn pasta I'm having later sounds a far better option to me :)
Hahaha that's brilliant. Though you shouldn't take that in a bad way - just see how far you've come, and be happy in the knowledge that you're getting better at your priorities in life.
And anyway, for a list of 10 I think you're allowed a little frivolousness. Everyone's trying so hard to be good these days it's easy to forget that life is not worth living unless you enjoy living it!
J x
Jade. I agree that we need a little frivolity in our lives but I'd hardly call KFC and McD's something that actually makes it more enjoyable. Obviously it did once upon a time but as you say, priorities change.
I am a new reader and I really enjoy the blog!
I shudder to think about a similar list I would have written six years ago (age 19). That was back when I ate fast food all the time, partied with my friends, and worked at a pizza place. Now I am a mother who is almost done with law school. Over those six years one of the best things I did was stop eating fast food!
Thanks for sharing your list :)
Hi Lu, and welcome to Finding Simplicity. Glad to know you're enjoying it :)
A lot happens between 19 and 25, that's for sure. I married at 18 and thought I knew it all. Looking back now, my priorites were very different by the time I hit my mid-20s. As I said in an earlier comment, they keep changing, which must be good as it can only mean we're learning :)
What a wonderful reflection. It's funny,while I was never a big junk food eater I would occasionally enjoy something "fast" - now the site of those places makes me ill! Give me homemade veggie pasta or homemade grains anyday! :)
FT - I was a big KFC fan snd probably went there at least once a month if not more. It's so long since I was last there now though that I can't even remember when it was. What I do remember is that I didn't enjoy it very much so haven't been back since.
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