Monday 4 August 2008

Six Years of Change


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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:

  1. Family & Friends
  2. Freedom
  3. The Power of Speech
  4. My Senses
  5. My Car
  6. Music
  7. Books
  8. My Dog
  9. Fast Food
  10. 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:

Richard said...

Fancy some crispy strips?

Sharon J said...

Err... as a matter of fact, no. The prawn pasta I'm having later sounds a far better option to me :)

Jade of the Jungle said...

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

Sharon J said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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 :)

Sharon J said...

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 :)

Anonymous said...

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! :)

Sharon J said...

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.