Leaving Las Vegas

a place that lives in your heartThere are many chapters in ones life that make up the context and composition of said life. Part of that is beginnings and endings.

We have people that come into our lives, make an impact and leave by their own circumstances related to moving, moving on, or death. Each person brings a new perspective on life and another lesson we learn about people and more importantly about ourselves. We can grow from this if we look into the heart of the decision process or we can devolve into the insecurities and timeless adages that stiffle our difficult yet necessary cultural evolution.

We have jobs that take us to other circumstances which involve the complicated nuances of housing, family, and friends. Each step along the way provides a learning curve for exploration. Exploration takes place because of devine guidance or the gentle breeze of change that lives in all of us.

Beginnings are the life blood that provides hope that a new environment will bring education, excitment, and peace of mind that we all search for. If not properly anaylized our “new” beginnings can become a quagmire of hopelessnes and despair.

However, the opposite side of the coin is the bright light of beauty and wonder at the amazing journey we have undertook. Any journey begins with the first step. To ensure a better place filled with the expectation that dreams will come true and reward us we must painstakingly survey our future goals.

As we begin this study of self and take a look into the future for the outcome we desire, a list must be written that conveys the aspiration of time frame and execution. This survey of the future depends largely on our health, timing, and monetary consideration.

Each step is calculated with the help of past experiences and the knowledge that comes with discovery, mentorship, and design. I never thought we’d leave Las Vegas in the time frame we did. However, the political climate and the obvious “Californiazation” of Nevada that once held its own as a conservative respite from the “Left Coast” was a major factor in the decision to move to Idaho.

Nancy and I lived in Las Vegas/Henderson area for twenty years. Along the way we witnessed the city grow into a world-class destination for travelers interested in food, entertainment, and sports. New casinos with beautiful design matched the quality of the celebrity chefs preparing exotic dishes. Then there was the entertainment from Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and of course Cirque du Soleil to every other amazing musical talent to grace the stages of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas has become a self absorbed caricture of itself. Throngs of people that can’t afford the experience lose themselves in the marketing phrase, “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” No identity theft here… most lose their identy upon entering the city. The selfi becomes the picture framed in a moment in time harboring no love for manners or self respect. The millennial is a statement unto itself of social networking at the expense of those sharing the same space and time.

So for us the ending of our time in Las Vegas/Henderson brings a bright new light that shines on a state we love. Idaho is what California used to be. Not what you have, but who you are. How hard you work, not how you’ve figured out how to get on the government dole or cheat a restaurant based upon the fear said restaurant has of your Yelp review.

People in Idaho love the connection to each other. They love the open spaces that gives one a chance to breath in the beauty that surrounds them. Leaving Idaho is like going to another country. You won’t see the obsession with cell phones and you certainly won’t see the prohibitive taxes for trains you don’t need, and social programs you don’t want. Each individual has a choice that is honored for themselves and their family to be raised in a place that centers around God, Country, and the Nuclear family.

And so here we are in the middle of nowhere content in our surroundings. We  listen to the animals, the birds, insects, and reptiles as they communicate to each other in a dance that is timeless. We see the stars in a darkened sky light up the forest that is the perimeter around our home. We feel the tranquility as a soothing warmth that covers us in the blanket of perception that we have found our most perfect place in time.

Retirement is a Thing of Beauty

 

learn about yourself experience life

When we reach the age we are contemplating retirement our mind goes immediately to the possibilities that word conjures. The fear of the unknown is a place that is dark and lonely. But within that kaleidoscope of color reflected within the framework of the unknown there is a beacon of light. That light is the source we create because of the hard work we’ve put in to attain the choices we deserve.

Whenever I think of retirement I think of the options we have to fabricate to be able to live the life we choose. That life is quite simple really: It could be the hobbies we enjoy, the service club we join, or the trips we take. All of these choices are only possible if we’ve put in the work to have different course of actions determined by the vehicles we seek to arrive at the destination we deserve.

The education we’ve studied regarding the different financial choices available seem to be an afterthought for most. The fear of not being comfortable investing is usually trumped by having to show up at a job to make money. Unfortunately the job doesn’t do what the job used to do. Before the job put us in a position to have a comfortable life and retire at a decent age. This ended in the 1970s and yet most feel that’s their only avenue for success.

School doesn’t teach us how to manage money, invest, manage health care, or form a plan to retire in a comfortable fashion at a reasonable age. Retiring at an age where we are healthy and able to be the captain of our own ship is located somwhere in the land of make believe that many dismiss as a wild and foolish dream. But if the dream is big enough the facts don’t count.

Being able to pay a mortgage, car payment, utilities, food and gas, etc., and my most favorite category (the unexpected expense) is within the grasp of most. Having a mentor, reading the latest financial news, and being trainable and teachable no matter what the age is key to sustaining a retirement plan. However, to numb the pain of our previous financial choices we tend to drift into the sports zone, Hallmark Channel, celebrity chef, or any of the twelve dozen home imrovement shows. We recline into the mind altering experiences of others to take away the pain of our own existence. If only we’d realize our potential is an unlimited gift. It only requires an educational chiropractic adjustment that will help us understand the power we posses.

Twilight Years by Jack Jenkins

“I never knew what lay beyond the sky. I felt its ears would listen when I cried. A windsong shepherd would appear, the apparition of a sigh. The future stood a shadow tall, the meloncholy picture on a blue cloudless wall.

But through the haze the canvas blank, I wrote my future before I drank. The glass was full upon recall, the bright clear liquid helped me draw. I drew the destiny I wanted to see, and now I live a life I can’t believe.”

Savor the future because nothing is promised but the destiny we create when we believe in who we are. Each step along the way… breathe the air, smell the flowers, gaze at the streams, live every moment as though its your first and enjoy every night as though its your last.