Truthfully, I expected to be dead by 30, Job and lifestyle were against me making it long. What little planning I did was based on having fun. When I made it past thirty, I started looking at everything a little different. Planning for an imagined future was never my strong suit, so I just winged it.

It’s like falling off of a cliff and wondering what’s at the bottom. Do you get ready to dive into an ocean of swirling doubt or will you smash into the rocks? Is it even a fifty/fifty bet?

So now, I’m retired and trying to figure out what I’m going to do when I grow up. My life isn’t what I expected.

Daily writing prompt

Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?

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It has been a dream, building in my mind for years, to have a compound where I can gather likeminded friends and build a community. Why likeminded? Because home is where you should feel safe, without drama. Please notice that I didn’t mention race, sex, orientation, religious affiliation or anything else that superficial idiots fixate on. I don’t even care about political affiliation, as long as you have reasons for your belief and cand respect others who may disagree with you.

It needs enough space for growth, families and new residents being expected. I want a good sized woods for kids to play in, so they can explore the outdoors safely. Room for households to grow kitchen gardens and have outdoor gatherings. As a special plus would be to have a good shooting range and golf course within the grounds. Fine. Okay. I’ll add a Pickle Ball court for you nut jobs that have joined the cult, we can put it in by the gym/dojo. Happy now?

There are some requirements for residence. You must have served our nation. Not just military veterans. Police, medics, teachers, anyone who has dedicated their lives to protecting and preserving our nation. You must be willing to own and train with weapons to protect yourself and your neighbors. If you aren’t willing to defend your home and generous enough to defend your neighbors, you probably won’t fit in.

When I first envisioned my compound, it had a fully developed defensive grid with bunkers and such. Then I had an image of Wacko, TX and worried that it would result in a raid and the death of many federal agents who were only following orders. (BTW, yes, I misspelt Waco on purpose.) Just being able to defend yourself should be enough.

Now. I’ll just settle for a little place somewhere warm. The golf course just down the road and access to a range to keep up the skills. If I can’t find some good people there, the pub down the street. I’m sure there is someone to drink scotch with.

Daily writing prompt

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

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I wasted nearly fifty years doing random things for little good reason. I didn’t enjoy them, mostly. There were some highlights, just not worth the cost. Jumping out of airplanes was fun but did we need to take six hours to do it? Shooting? There was more waiting and not enough ammo. Travel was great except for the restless natives.

Being retired is less exciting and boring. I guess I need to go find a job to keep me occupied.

Daily writing prompt

What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

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If you don’t know, that’s the difference between a fairytale and a war story. Which is where most of my encounters took place, in the military. I was assigned to personal security details, so there were a lot of senators, Ministers of Extremely Useless Stuff and Military Brass from around the world. What fun? Dealing with high power schmucks leads to meeting reporters and escorting them around through bad places and saying don’t do that, a lot.

There was a mission where we gave a final ride to ten of the HVTs in Iraq. It wasn’t very thrilling but it drove home what the cost of war could be. That was the last time those men saw anything besides the inside of a prison. Just a block of cells, a mosque and a green house.

Then, there is Philly. Just hanging out in a bar, there is a high chance that you will run into a professional athlete. I played shuffleboard and drank all night with a linebacker and didn’t know he was famous. Ump (Umpire for MLB) worked at Chickies on the boulevard. In 2018 the Eagles won the Super Bowl, and it was all hands on deck for the parade. Try not to arrest a “somebody” during the Mummers Parade. At the Airport, I remember meeting Meg Ryan (pretty) and Hulk Hogan (big) a few more were, “wow that was cool. Who were they?”

My vote for the coolest, Jakub Voracek. During the Mostly Peaceful Protests (RIOTS!) in Philly, this guy walks up to a group of us. In a thick Cech accent starts thanking us and shaking hands. Nice kid, I thought he would be cool to have a few drinks with, just hang out. He took some pictures and waved. Voracek for the win!

Daily writing prompt

Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?

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The most expensive thing I’ve ever paid for is experience. There are some fairly large price tags on travel. Even adventure travelling can cost a lot because of unexpected events. Learning life lessons tend to add up. Learning my dating rules cost me three houses and some encounters with angry people that don’t need to be rehashed today.

Purchases only cost money. Experience can cost a lot more and have surprising repercussions. It’s too bad that we can preview what we learn from our decisions before we make them. Since we can’t, I’ll continue to leap in with both feet and wallow in the experience and damn the costs.

I would be happy to send a few people on a one-way trip. Maybe we could get a discount if we sent large groups, like congress and other useless parasites. There is a pretty good chance that they would even vote in a land give away, a 5-acre homestead land grant. 3 years to prove the ground and an option for 5 more acres after that.

Look at the selling points:

A pristine environment and zero chance of contamination.

No drilling, fracking or nuclear power plants!

No internal combustion engines!

No need to commute! There are no jobs to commute to.

No noise or need to worry about neighbors crowding you.

No need for a green new deal. Everyone would be dependent on solar power from the start!

I’m not interested in going, but I’ll pitch in for a few seats.

Daily writing prompt

How much would you pay to go to the moon?

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I never really learned to stop. You just work until the job is done and find the next thing. Doing nothing? I don’t know, there is always something. So yeah, unproductive is a good word for it. It’s all about the words, isn’t it? A “lazy day” is ignoring work. Even when I take the time to play golf or ride a bike, I’m doing something.

There’s a difference between sleeping in and being lazy.

Daily writing prompt

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

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I have liked my neighbors for the most part. I would have to say it is probably because we didn’t intrude on each other much. Don’t mistake me, there have been many whom I consider friends and were always welcome in my home. But there was distance, we were no more involved than we wanted to be.

A good neighbor is there when you need them or when they need you. They don’t intrude. That includes intruding with their music, arguments (or excessively loud motorcycles). Yep. Good neighbors are hard to find and wonderful when we find them.

Daily writing prompt

What makes a good neighbor?

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Every time I’ve tried to resist it, something in me just breaks down. Like it’s predestined or some law of nature that I can’t resist. If I manage to build something good, as close to perfect as I can come, it still seems to wear out.

Does anyone else have trouble with entropy?

Daily writing prompt

What principles define how you live?

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