I meant to post this last week, but didn't get round to it: that's why this whole blogging thing probably won't work, but...We spend the other weekend (the bank holiday) at Woolacombe, ostensibly to go surfing, but as the surf was only about 2ft, not much surfing occurred, and instead we had a great time golfing (well, pitch and putt), bbqing, drinking and generally wandering around the beach enjoying ourselves. And when we got home, I had a quick look at the papers online and read a piece about how the retail industry has pursuaded us that they can sell us a new lifestyle, and how as a country we are busy plunging ourselves into debt trying to buy this.
And I wondered if your purchases can really define your lifestyle. If you have a plasma screen in your plush wooden floored leather sofa'ed living room what does that really say about how you live your life? And how does that compare with a fantastic weekend spent living in a tent with friends? Which says more about you as a person?
This links into my birthday a couple of days ago which I really wasn't looking forward to it as it feels like I've reached an age where I really haven't achieved as much as I should have done. I have a well paid job, but it is dull. I have a car that was brand new 6 years ago and is nothing more than adequate. And probably my biggest bugbear at the moment is that I don't own a house, although I have a deposit the size of which would have bought a nice little terraced house 6 years ago. But despite that, I have travelled quite widely, I have kayaked to a good level all round the UK and France, I have skiied, scuba dived and bungy jumped. And I have found a really fantastic girlfirend who puts me in such a better mood every time I see her.
I guess it all depends how you measure these things and what you want out of life. And it depends how you reach a point where you can say you are really happy with everything. I am not there yet, I need to work in certain areas, but I think I'm headed in the right direction ...
