(no subject)

[fabrisse]

siderea has an interesting -- what's the word, challenge, meme, psych test -- at her LJ.

"So tell me what about me makes you envy me (if there is such a thing), then post this in your LJ and see what makes me envious of you."

I can think of several things, but in most cases, such as self-confidence, I have my own brand that works for me.

So. I envy her the fact that she knows what she wants and finds a way to go for it. I don't. I have failed at the big thing I really wanted to do, but that's not it. There are other things I've wanted, other lives I could lead and be content or even actively happy, so why can't I?

siderea worked out that no matter what she wanted to do, be, or have as a hobby, it would take money. She organized her life so that she had both the money and time to discover what she wanted to be when she grew up, and pay for the training. She takes long vacations because she made herself valuable enough to her company that she can take the time she needs to recharge.

I've been more of the proverbial grasshopper -- fitting from my family pedigree -- and am now homeless, jobless, and penniless. I'm hoping that I can find something to end situation number two which will take care of situations one and three. And siderea has given me the tools, in a way that my parents never did when we discussed finances and budgetting, to ensure that I will never be caught this way again.

But I envy the fact that she grokked this young and planned well. siderea's my favorite ant.

Comments

[siderea]

I find it so totally weird to be considered an ant -- I was raised to be an ant (and it shows) but I have harbored the secret anxiety that I was being terribly grasshopper. I flitted from job to job and had no savings for 10 years; I would stop working for a little while whenever I had enough money to live for a while, so I could focus on, er, music and dance. That particular fable always hit a little close to home. :}

(Don't you think it's marvellous how the symbolic meaning of grasshoppers flipped there in the 16th/17th cen, to be one of fiscal prudence?)

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

Of course I find it marvelous, it was my family crest that made the change. One of the things I used to do when I went into NBP was look at the golden grasshopper at Park Street station for a moment. It always gave me a silly little lift.

It's odd, because I was brought up to be an ant too.

One of the hardest things for me, oddly enough, is the fact that I can't give to charity. Yes, volunteering, but just to be able to give $10.00 a month to Human Rights Watch would mean so much to me right now.

I'm lucky to have generous friends and kind people who take me in for awhile.

Good luck with your "professional" shopping this weekend.

[pamelina.livejournal.com]

You're happy out there on the left coast and want to stay, right?

'Cause you could always come and live with me; I enjoy smart women.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I have some good reasons to stay. But you may find me on your doorstep yet.

Thank you.