Writer's Block: It's payday!
That's a funny question. I have a series of posts tagged and titled "If I had a million dollars..." Most of my "ifs" are pretty modest.
And most of the money would go to paying off things, rather than buying things because I try to be practical.
A million dollars is nothing to some people, and that amazes me. For me it would be a do-over...I think that's true for a lot of people. It would level the playing field and then some. To be honest, I wouldn't need a twentieth of that to turn things around completely though. I don't know if that's sad, or if it is a testament to my ingenuity and dedication that 50,000 dollars would absolutely alter my life. I'm such small potatoes.
So, what would I do with more than I can imagine needing? Well, with a million dollars I would be free in a way that is overwhelming to me right now, almost unimaginable...and all for a fraction of what some people waste in a year. My life is not complicated or expensive. I'd keep to my old habits, but I wouldn't have to work so hard. I would have time for the things that are important: I'd write. I'd read. I'd breathe. I wouldn't drive myself into an early grave by taking on more than I can physically handle and neglecting those things that are important. Instead, I'd pay off what I owe, buy a small house in a nice place where I could have gardens and chickens, get my car fixed, and spend my days driving, learning, writing, reading, playing music, drawing, creating things...instead of just wishing I had time to do those things. A million dollars would not only pay my debts but free me (and my family) for 15 years. 15 years without needing another penny to come in! That's insane! How insane is that? And quite a few people make more than that for very little work. People get 12 million dollar severance checks...12 million dollars? Are you kidding me?
CEOs of fortune 500 companies make billions...BILLIONS? How much can one person spend? I have no perspective of that kind of ridiculous wealth, it baffles and astounds me. A million for them is a drop in the bucket...and spending that much must be like the equivalent of me going out to dinner at a mid-priced restaurant--I feel a little guilty, but it's a luxury I am sometimes willing to pay for. I can't even wrap my mind around things like that, but then again...how could I? My perspective on money and time spent earning it is so different, that it is incomparable.
Today, if I had a million dollars I'd spend it getting a gym membership. I think that would be nice. And since I had a whole million to play with, I'd get it to one of the better gyms, instead of the university gym. Then I'd go grocery shopping and buy something nice for dinner, instead of eating clam chowder from a can. Or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'd just go about my day as normal after paying off everything I owed, and everything anyone I love owed. We'd all get clean slates. And that would make business as usual a little less stressful and a little more tolerable for us all.
And most of the money would go to paying off things, rather than buying things because I try to be practical.
A million dollars is nothing to some people, and that amazes me. For me it would be a do-over...I think that's true for a lot of people. It would level the playing field and then some. To be honest, I wouldn't need a twentieth of that to turn things around completely though. I don't know if that's sad, or if it is a testament to my ingenuity and dedication that 50,000 dollars would absolutely alter my life. I'm such small potatoes.
So, what would I do with more than I can imagine needing? Well, with a million dollars I would be free in a way that is overwhelming to me right now, almost unimaginable...and all for a fraction of what some people waste in a year. My life is not complicated or expensive. I'd keep to my old habits, but I wouldn't have to work so hard. I would have time for the things that are important: I'd write. I'd read. I'd breathe. I wouldn't drive myself into an early grave by taking on more than I can physically handle and neglecting those things that are important. Instead, I'd pay off what I owe, buy a small house in a nice place where I could have gardens and chickens, get my car fixed, and spend my days driving, learning, writing, reading, playing music, drawing, creating things...instead of just wishing I had time to do those things. A million dollars would not only pay my debts but free me (and my family) for 15 years. 15 years without needing another penny to come in! That's insane! How insane is that? And quite a few people make more than that for very little work. People get 12 million dollar severance checks...12 million dollars? Are you kidding me?
CEOs of fortune 500 companies make billions...BILLIONS? How much can one person spend? I have no perspective of that kind of ridiculous wealth, it baffles and astounds me. A million for them is a drop in the bucket...and spending that much must be like the equivalent of me going out to dinner at a mid-priced restaurant--I feel a little guilty, but it's a luxury I am sometimes willing to pay for. I can't even wrap my mind around things like that, but then again...how could I? My perspective on money and time spent earning it is so different, that it is incomparable.
Today, if I had a million dollars I'd spend it getting a gym membership. I think that would be nice. And since I had a whole million to play with, I'd get it to one of the better gyms, instead of the university gym. Then I'd go grocery shopping and buy something nice for dinner, instead of eating clam chowder from a can. Or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'd just go about my day as normal after paying off everything I owed, and everything anyone I love owed. We'd all get clean slates. And that would make business as usual a little less stressful and a little more tolerable for us all.