It was the first topic that came up: the state of our union. “Stress. That’s the biggest change. I’m not so much of a worrier as my husband, I know we’ll get through it. But we’re definitely more stressed.”
Gail had recently moved into what she called, “Grown-up Camp”, it’s a lifestyle community where water aerobics, mahjong games, and round robin are all in a days work, or in this case, a day’s fun.
“It was Rob who really fell in love with it, the view and the games are what sold him,” she said as we peered at the picturesque mountain in her backyard. “And once he gives me that shit eating grin of his, it’s all over. So we bought it without selling the old house first. That was about 2 years ago, and we were asking $700,000. It’s still sitting there, except now we’re asking $400,000.”
It’s true, when we drove in, there was a sea of For Sale signs, you couldn’t drive more than 10 feet without seeing one.
As we kept chatting it became apparent that Gail had made some changes to her life, little ones, but changes nonetheless.
“We don’t eat out as much. And movies aren’t a once a week trip anymore,” she said nodding her head slowly.
“A lot more meatloaf and mashed potatoes” Gail said, “no reason for fancy meals, there are a million ways I can spice up a meatloaf.” Her eyes brightened a bit as she exclaimed, “And you know what? Last time I served my mashed potatoes, I served them in a champagne glass!”
Opportunity: There’s something about tough times that let your creativity loose. Celebrate that creativity. Have fun with the basics.
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