The Kitchen Table
Periodically, Ninepatch proposes various themes for contributors letters. Here are the letters we received in response to the ''Best Money I Ever Spent' theme...
RENEWED VOWS
The Best Money I Ever Spent was used in July of this year. That month my husband and I renewed our wedding vows. On July 20, we stood in a church again and celebrated our thirtieth anniversary!
I had help from family and friends. One gal decorated the church for the occasion. My daughter originally stood up with me. Since she is deceased, this time my sister- in- law stood in her place. My husband was lucky. The same man who years ago stood up with him, took the place to his right again.
This time, though, there were just eight in total attendance. Still, we celebrated. Our reception was at a local restaurant overlooking a small lake. This time around, everyone wanted just appetizers - how things change!
After we ate, my husband and I left for our suite at a fancy motel. We stayed two days. Ah!
Merry Mary (Mar.'04) adds, "Our brother- in-law advised us not to go back to our first honeymoon's hotel. He warned us that motel had fallen on hard times and might now rent rooms by the hour instead of by the night. Ha!"
MONEY-MONEY
I have my own ideas about our special topic, BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT. Looking back, I see most of the important things in my life cost little in terms of legal tender.
However, my pilgrimage to Ireland DID require quite a bit of my saved coin- of- the- realm. I seem to be writing and writing about images and experiences from that journey. So, at this point in my life, parting with the revenue to fly overseas for that adventure was the best money I ever spent.
Now I see that making that choice signaled the beginning of a new cycle in my life-one where I would be more adventurous. Normally, I am conservative and watch pennies. However, this was a case where I spent what I consider a lot of money on some-thing for no "earthly" reason.
Instead, in choosing that Ireland journey, I followed some urge I have tried to explain but still escapes description. At that time I did not "think" about my decision. Instead, I asked myself, When I am lying on my death bed and look back, will I wish I had done this or not.
That journey brought me in contact with other seekers, and it required me to place my life into the planning of others. More importantly, it gifted me with unusual sights and mystical experiences I savor to this day.
If that is not worth cashing in some shekels don't know what is!
Frances, Editor adds, "Accepting an adventure is always a mixture of fun and fear of the unknown. Sometimes I also find myself lonely, missing comfort of the 'known.' Often, changes distance me from people I have grown to love and enjoy."
SAVED MONEY
Three-thousand dollars seems like a lot of money when you think of it sitting on your dresser. It could be a semester at your local state college or even one thousand cups of fancy coffee from Starbucks.
The best money I ever spent equaled about that much, but I didn't use it for anything in particular. It was all the money I'd managed to save up while working for more than a year at a job I absolutely hated.
Every day, saving that money meant facing three bosses who loved to yell at, insult and demean everyone around them -- including customers who were spending thousands of dollars at a time. The yelling, of course, included shrieks at each other, as well as screams at customers and also employees. Every day, saving that money also meant spending ten or so stress-filled hours punching end-less names and numbers into a computer. When the orders came in, I processed and billed them before they were shipped out. Once shipped, the invoices from those orders came back to me and I filed them without having to even think about it. Sometimes I had to call customers to track down payments or to verify their credit cards, but mostly my schedule revolved around an in box and an out box.
Saving that money meant feeling like life was passing me by and knowing that I could do better. It also meant applying for other better jobs every night and being disappointed over and over again.
In the end, all that saving let me buy the best gift I've ever given myself: unemployment. I spent three-thousand dollars to quit that job and enjoy a few months of very quiet time in which I wrote and read and, most importantly, relaxed.
Christa Weber (June'04) adds, "It took me a while to think about The Best Money I Ever Spent-- since I hardly spend any nowadays -- but then it just kind of hit me."
LESSON MONEY
My wife and I were dancing at an American Legion club in Florida. Dancing? Well, sort of. You see I really didn't know how to dance, but that didn't seem to matter, as we moved slowly to the music.
We stayed close to the far edge of the dance floor and held each other tightly. We always stayed within a few inches of her oxygen tank on the floor. She died three months later.
The following winter, I returned to Florida and visited the Legion. There, I watched people at the bar telling jokes and having drinks. There, it seemed, he who laughed the loudest, was having the most "fun". In contrast, the people at the tables around the dance floor were really enjoying themselves. They were dancing and also had companionship, and exercise. Then and there, I decided to take dance lessons!
I inquired at the local library for books on the subject. I found one of the volunteer ladies there was (and had been for a number of years) taking dance lessons at a studio in a nearby town. At her urging, I enrolled in a pay-as-you-go plan. This was excellent advice.
Beginning lessons were frustrating. I couldn't hear the beat, and also had two left feet. But, with time and encouragement, I began to get the feel of the music. I learned a waltz, the swing and the rumba, to name a few. Eventually, I switched to lessons at a closer studio where I also began attending the studio's dances. Before long, I had confidence enough for public dances.
Now, I find Florida a dancer's heaven. I step to the music several times a week, either at singles' affairs or at private clubs like the Moose and Elks. I often seek out ladies who seem to be bypassed by the men at the dances. Many of these ladies are older, but excellent dancers and enjoy dancing. I find pleasure in moving to the music and feeling and sharing the rhythm with my partner. I also still enjoy learning new dance steps and have a library of fifty or more dance tapes. I like sharing all the dance knowledge I've accumulated.
I wish I had discovered dancing earlier in life. Now, I encourage people to take dance lessons and enjoy the fruits of their efforts. Money I spent on dancing lessons was surely, THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT!
Le ( Feb. '04) says, "I'm fascinated by stage productions like: "Dancin," "Sweet Charity," and "Damn Yankees."
THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT
Traffic was brisk that Saturday as my daughter and I set out to do our Christmas shopping in a town about an hour away. She was on Christmas break from college and we rolled along happily in my new yellow Mustang. Our heads were filled with ideas for our gift list.
Every store was clogged with tired shoppers, grim determination written on their faces. Some dragged weary complaining children behind them. Checkout lines were long but we determined to make the most of this day. When we had found the last perfect, and affordable gift, we made our way through the darkness and sank into the car exhausted and ravenous.
Pleased with our accomplishments, we looked forward to relaxing over a leisurely dinner. We stopped at one of our favorite restaurants about thirty-five miles from home. I was careful to lock the car to safe-guard our purchases. Then I realized that I had locked the keys inside!
When I voiced this hapless act to my daughter, I added, "...but you have YOUR keys." (She regularly drove the car to the nearby community college.)
Her face registered apprehension. "Well, actually I left my keys at home. I didn't think I'd need them."
A tired sigh of frustration escaped me; first we needed some rest and a good meal. All during dinner, my mind went over my options.
Since it was Saturday night just before Christmas, I doubted I could get a locksmith to come to our rescue. My teen-age son who had a little Jeep could easily bring the key to me. But I immediately ruled that out because he was underage and, although he was a good driver, he was not allowed to drive except on back roads near the family farm.
I could call my husband; but he was drinking and partying with our friends, and would be irritated to be called away. The thought of dealing with his scornful criticism forestalled that option!
After we finished dinner, I called a locksmith. I hit the jackpot; the first one I called agreed to come. My daughter and I waited beside the car for about twenty minutes before we saw his truck enter the parking lot. I waved and pointed to my car. In just a couple of minutes he had the car open.
When he wrote up his bill and presented it to me, I looked at the total of $18 and thought, "This is the best money I ever spent!"
June Poucher (May '04) adds: "I never told my husband about that incident!"
Life is a balancing act
Between one's soul
And one's worldly needs.
James (May '04) says, "Everyone has a comfort range. I try to stay within my limits."
BEST MONEY THOUGHTS
When I think of the best money I ever spent, I think of "money" I won in a contest. I used initiative and creative deception to be picked as the winner of chocolates, balloons, a fur jacket and a $1,000 gift certificate to the best women's clothing store in town.
Here's what happened: The local radio station announced that the grand prize would be presented to the secretary whose boss sent in the best letter of recommendation. Assuming that my bosses would never take the time, I wrote several short letters and had my bosses and co-workers sign them.
I also think of hard-earned money I garnered as a clerk that I spent on a used bureau at a flea market. I still have that piece of furniture almost thirty years later.
Maybe the best money I ever spent, though, was for a little tree. It is now almost full grown, even though it lives in another state, and I can't see it -- I know it is there. A couple of years ago, someone sent me a photograph of it in full bloom.
If time is money, then I take pride in the volunteer work I have done for my church, school district and public library. Even though these are "good" activities, recently I have become burned out and have felt exploited. So, I have cut back drastically on those activities.
Some charity gifts have not been the "best money." For in-stance, I don't think of the stingy sums I give away to charitable causes. This kind of giving makes me ponder my values. I humbly admit that I am a thrifty, frugal person sitting on an inheritance but still afraid she will die in poverty.
Carol (Mar. '04) reflects, "My first impulse was to pass up this 'assignment.' Upon reflection, I decided to make it into a kind of spiritual confession."
Write and we'll add your 'Best Money I Ever Spent' letter too!