Is It Ever Enough?

Often, the writings of others inspire my blogs. In this case, my sister recently penned an article in a Fredericksburg, Virginia publication asking, “Is the Back Porch Enough?” Her article did as it intended … it got me thinking about “enough.”

Sue and I are less than a year apart in age. She just passed her 60th birthday; mine is looming. We both suffer from incurable wanderlust. We are both creative – she sings, I’m a broadcaster. We both write. We have a lot of similarities. But there are big differences, too.

She lives in a house in the mid-Atlantic surrounded by trees overlooking a river. I live in the desert with vast views of mountains and never-ending blue skies. She’s friends with a lot of people in the ‘burg and involved in loads of local causes. I hang with my neighbors and everyone waves at each other on walks, but when I head into town, it’s the big city. 

So what is enough? Is there such a thing? Sue makes a case for many things that are enough. I see her point, but her article has me thinking in a different direction. While we agree we already have plenty of “things,” I have a hard time settling for enough of everything else. 

Like Sue, I appreciate the quiet moments in my life. I enjoy a peaceful evening in the courtyard with a cocktail in hand and the coyotes howling in the distance. But the easy evenings aren’t enough for me. I want more of everything.

I’m always on the lookout for the next great adventure or experience. I am constantly searching for a new flavor to try, whether it’s food or drink. I’m eternally alert for excitement around the next corner. Thanks to my extensive travels, I appreciate the life I have and the country I am proud to be a citizen of, but I just can’t seem to get enough of experiencing more of the world. I am forever on the lookout for something new to see or try. 

As I approached 40, I felt old. I felt like I’d done so many of the things I’d always wanted to do. I needed new goals. That’s when I came up with my 26-year-plan to see the world alphabetically. It made me realize, for me, there’s no such thing as enough. Now, as I near 60, I am reinvigorated! There are still so many places to go and things to do! Greg remarked the other day that if he lives as long as his mother (who passed away last year at 90), he still has a third of his life to live. Sixty truly is the new 30.

Is it enough? Personally, I am super comfortable in my own skin. I love my home. My husband and I are still the perfect pair. But our feet won’t allow us to give up the quest for more. I’m a little like a two-year-old who fights sleep because he’s afraid he’ll miss something. 

Thanks for the inspiration, sis, for sharing your thoughts, and for posing a truly intriguing question. 

There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. I can’t seem to get enough of it.

© The World A to Z, LLC 2021 — Unless otherwise indicated, no compensation was received for this blog.