No Time Like the Present
Ten years ago, I hosted a small group of clients in Colorado for a weekend of fly fishing. Among the group was a gentleman who was added to the list the week before the trip. His name was Ed and, although I had never met him before, I immediately liked his style and demeanor.
After our first day on the river, we gathered around a fire pit nestled on a small rise above the Taylor River for drinks and fish stories. Not long after we poured our first round, the person in the group who asked if Ed could come on the trip, spoke up to announce, “Guys this is a special occasion. Last week Ed’s company sold and after thirty years on the job, he has now retired.”
Immediately a toast was proposed for Ed and his career. This was followed by the customary comments about how envious the group was and how excited everyone was for his newfound good fortune of money, and time. Ed remained subdued and quiet. I think it was his nature, but you could see a sense of peace already engulfed him.
“Ed, now that you are retired, what’s next?” Tom asked.
This is a normal question we all ask newly retired people as though we aren’t quite sure they can stop working.
Ed smiled and said, “Last Friday, I asked my financial advisor, now that I am retired, what should I invest in?”
Ed paused for affect and then he repeated what was said to him, “He said I should invest in experiences.”
This was an unexpected answer, but one that was well received. It was as though we all turned inward and privately acknowledged we could use more of that in our lives.
That was the last time I saw Ed. Upon his return from the trip, he developed a horrible headache that ultimately led to hospitalization. Sadly, the hospital quickly diagnosed a previously unknown cancerous tumor in Ed’s brain. Ed passed away within a week of first learning he had cancer.
Since that moment I have revisited his words and story multiple times. I have endeavored to seek experiences that matter and to build wealth around living life.
In that spirit, I thought it would be interesting to hear from the readers of I Was Just Thinking about experiences they have had, intend to have, or hope someday to have. Call it gathering perspective on what we strive for. This is not a travel blog, and I am not attempting to just hear about travel ideas (although travel can be the cornerstone of many life-changing experiences). No, I am hoping to spark a conversation, if only in your head, about priorities and dreams.
This is not intended to be morbid. We should all internalize death will find us someday. This is also not a bucket list exercise. It is more than that. It is a search for examples of experiences people want to have and maybe why it is important to them.
This should be fun. Please send me your thoughts and examples of experiences you have had or want to have. I will gather them all and write about what the loyal readers of this blog offer.
