ANCHOR DOWN IN PARADISE
I've got my anchor firmly down in paradise.
While living overseas for the past twenty-eight years, I've had an
excellent opportunity to see how people live their dreams in
different cultures around the world. I've lived in and
visited many countries in which people survive on a few hundred
dollars a year. They have simple lifestyles, eat ordinary
food, and they are content.
While I was cruising around the world on Exit Only, I discovered
that it really doesn't take very much for a human being to survive
and be happy. The cost of living isn't that high in 95
percent of the places I visited.
When I returned to the USA, I discovered that the cost of
living high is astronomical. I am now in a country where
people watch widescreen high definition televisions that cost
$4,000. They drive cars that cost $40,000 dollars, and they
live in houses that often cost $400,000 dollars and up.
Something happened during those twenty-eight years while I was
gone. If I had to use one phrase to describe what has
happened, I would say it this way. Things have gone over the
top. Houses are over the top. Hotels are over the top.
Reality TV is over the top. Quiz shows with million dollar
prizes are over the top. Everything has gone over the top,
and it's not working that well for most people. There's a
type of malaise running rampant in our country. Things are
out of control and people know it.
I've been thinking a great deal about whether I want to get
involved in this over the top way of life. The truth is, I
don't want to, but the reality is, it's extremely difficult to
escape from its clutches.
I've had to come to a new and uneasy agreement with life.
For the next couple of years, I'm going to be sailing to windward
in the over the top storm that is lashing our shores. This
storm is an irritating distraction that I must endure, but that's
OK. I've been there and done that in the past, and I
can do it again.
I'm not too worried about my present situation, because I know
that in couple of years, I'm going to be some place other than
here. I've got Bora Bora on my mind. My anchor is firmly
down in Paradise, and it won't be long before the next adventure
begins.
Thank God for dreams. No matter where I am, I can still put
my anchor down in Paradise and continue working on my dreams.
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