Month: November 2013

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Shopping without spending

Frye casual shoesAs the holiday season descends upon us, it’s easy to get into the spending mode when you see something you like. Here’s a little idea to stave off your purchasing hunger. It worked for me, and maybe it will work for you.

When you see something cool, just take a photo of it with your phone. Then you can savor the coolness later without having to spend anything. Chances are, the thrill of that purchase would quickly disappear anyway.

Further notes: 1) I do like these shoes, but I don’t need any more. And $135 is a little too pricey for these. 2) Yes, you should be thinking about others when you are doing your holiday shopping.

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Not really true

your net worth, as defined by AppleSo, Apple tells me that my net worth is a set of figures that can be tracked in their Numbers application.*

I reject that. My net worth is measured in far more than just numbers. And so is yours. It can be seen in my… experiences, relationships, time, pain, fun, family, friends, talents, shortcomings, what I can offer to others – and simply my investments in things that can’t be measured.

* For non-Mac people, that’s the equivalent of Microsoft Excel.

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Sharing

carving of Arapaho indian council meeting from the Fort Collins Museum of DiscoveryOne of the best forms of sharing I’ve seen happens at a museum. This carving is displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.* The American Indian group that owned this carving from an old tree could have kept it for themselves, locked away in a dark room. But they chose to give it to the museum so that people like you and I could enjoy seeing the commemoration of a tribal council meeting many years ago.

My dad bought an old typewriter that he donated to the Smithsonian Museum. It’s one of those events that lives deep in my memory. Sadly, he’s not alive to ask the details. Even though it would be fun to have that typewriter to display on some surface in our home, I am glad he shared it with a larger group of people.

What can you share with others that is tucked away in your dark basement closet? It may not be museum-worthy, but someone may enjoy it more than you do.

* That’s a really fine little museum. You should visit someday, if you’re ever in their neighborhood.

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Off the beaten path

off-the-beaten-pathThis summer seems like a long time ago. The leaves have already left most trees, we must sleep under a thick comforter at night, and nights are much longer. So I dug into the summer photos and came across this one.

We were at Yellowstone National Park. We stopped along one of the main roads at a hot spring. Walkways with guardrails surround that geothermal feature to keep the average person safe from harm. We decided to walk down the river about half a mile and follow the river bank to a place where we could safely wade around in the hot spring-fed river without getting burned.

The vast majority of the visitors to the park never experience anything like that.

Step away from the main road. Enjoy the view from a different perspective.

(I took that photo from under one of the boardwalks.)

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