The High Cost Of Living

As you may have realized in the last several years... it's gotten much more expensive to stay alive... and it's going to continue...and get worse...

We all know food, housing, medical care, education and all the little things in-between that we need to get by on a day to day basis are becoming increasingly unaffordable... right now there is very little we can do to offset the financial burdens on our daily life... but a little creativity and imagination can help... I'm not really going to be talking about how to beat the high cost of living as there are numerous items in the mainstream news, blogs and podcasts... today I'm going to write about the cost everyone pays for all the things that you can't borrow, buy or sell.

The costs of goods and services has skyrocketed  since covid... and it keeps going up due to one thing and one thing only... greed. Big corporations got to charge more when they had the chance... and they just kept raising the prices... because consumers keep paying higher prices... everyone has taken a big hit in the wallet... but what no one has addressed is we have paid  a bigger price deep in our soul from being gauged and cheated and disrespected... if we think of this in terms of real issues and needs and not just the things manufactured that we would like to have... we can take back some of the control in our lives.

It became important for me in the past few months to restart my life and get a fresh or new perspective on where I've been and what direction I want to go from here... I have been preparing for what we are facing since I wrote Bad Moon Rising

A constant theme that has run like a magic thread through most everything I have written here involves travel, going places, seeing new vistas and meeting new people... and as much as I have loved every minute of that through  my life... it dawned on me during the lockdown of covid and especially the last few months that it's equally if sometimes not more important to stay where you are and deal with all the issues in your life that need attention and are in desperate need or repair or renovation... it took lockdown for me to deal with destination addiction... that happiness is in the next place, or job or experience... in that you can never experience real happiness unless you find it in the present moment where you are... it's not someplace else... don't get me wrong I still love travel and I always will be don't use travel as a means to find yourself or happiness... please remember that no battle has ever been won by running away from it... and all of our scars are proof we showed up for the fight.

The word liminal as in liminal space...is the uncertain transitional space of where you once were and who you are becoming on the threshold of change... physically, emotionally and metaphorically. When you put some distance between who you used to be and what kind of life you lived... you can learn a lot about moving forward... Just like how there are algorithms that will show you more of what you are interested in perusing  on line... The universe has one within you that will help guide you to what you are feeling, thinking and focusing on. Every action you take is a step closer to the person you are going to become or the person you want to become... It's very easy to recognize this in-between period... it's when life feels frustrating and overwhelming, things feel small and uncomfortable because you don't fit here anymore and the new realm has yet to arrive or take shape...take a moment to appreciate this passage in your life...it's going to lead you to where you belong... if you let it. Most people try to fight this because they fear change and/or the unknown. Please take the time to appreciate that bad days can lead to good outcomes... and wrong turns can take you to the right place... sometimes you have to lose the old you to find yourself.

We are clearly living in a broken world right now and it's a serious and brave thing that each of us are getting up and going out into this world everyday... I came across something recently that reflects my mindset right now...

"Let things break; stop trying so hard to keep them glued together.  

Let people get angry.  

Let them criticize you—their reaction is not your problem.  

Let everything fall apart, and don’t worry about what comes next.  

Where will I go? What will I do?  

What is meant to leave will leave anyway.  

What is meant to stay will remain.  

Whatever departs always makes room for something new—that’s the Universal Law.  

And never think there’s nothing good left for you. You just need to stop holding onto what needs to go."  

—Meryl Streep

I've been wondering recently about some of the people and places from the past and who am I and where am I going...it dawned on me that the person that we know in ourselves only exists for us as individuals... each person we meet, or have a love affair with or simply make eye contact with across a crowded room has their own version of who we are in their head... We are not the same person to our parents... brothers and sisters, coworkers neighbors... there are thousands of different versions of who we are in other peoples minds.... I have worked in the entertainment industry almost my entire life and one of the things that has  always been in the back of my mind every step of the way is "What image am I projecting?"... I think I may have finally reached the point where it's time to retire or become a superstar... because frankly... I don't care about my image anymore... I know who I am and I know my story...my heart and my truth... an image is what fake people try to maintain to show other people... somewhere along the way in the last few years I became a real person... who does not care about my image anymore or what people perceive me to be... but still put on your A Game and your best foot forward...

...in addition before covid I was on a short list of people in the entertainment field who sing and do voice over work... that list has gotten much longer with more people relying on AI technology and more A list celebrities doing voice over and product endorsement... what I still have that many of them don't is a singing voice with a remarkable range... and I'll go ahead and put my two cents in about AI... it sounds fake (because it is) there is no real emotion or actual human quality to it... I can recognize it instantly but I have a trained ear.

That being said... there is a lyric in one of the songs from "A Chorus Line"... who am I anyway am I my resume that is a picture of a person I don't know... it always resonated for me for years because people wanted me to be the person in the head shot or whatever else I projected on film... I have been lucky to find the people who wanted me for the person I am behind the picture or the image... so where do I go from here... I've been making lists of what I love doing and what brings me the greatest amount of happiness and fulfillment... I've got some ideas but I'm still stuck on the fact that Mark Roberts retired last year and has left a void that I could easily fill...

Mark Roberts is an English streaker who has run naked during numerous international events. Roberts' streaking began when he saw a news report about a female streaker at a 1993 rugby sevens game in Hong Kong. After a bet in a bar, he exposed himself to the crowd the next day...

So insomuch as it would be something I would enjoy and be good at... from the practical standpoint I don't know how lucrative it would be what with fines and posting bail... I'll just have to think of something else unless I can find a sponsor. Meanwhile I'll be where I've been almost my entire life... waiting in the wings for my big entrance... there are worse places to be.

So back to how to beat the high cost of living... in terms of finances and money issues... you are going to have to do what you have to do... hopefully without breaking the law... there have been a few periods in my life where its been all about creatively living and making due and robbing Peter to pay Paul... just keep in your mind during the difficult time... this is not going to last forever... finances will improve... wars end... grief fades...Eventually in life everything passes and nothing remains except memories... if you can accept this than some of the fear you have been holding onto looses it's grip on you.

Something I learned during covid when the "supply chain" wrecked havoc on what goods were available at any given time... we don't need more, we need less of what does not really matter in the long run... what we need are food, water, shelter, clothing and warmth... and love... it's gotten me through some of the most difficult times I've ever had to face.

When money becomes a central issue it's really important to take note of the things that money can't buy...

1. Manners
2. Morals
3. Respect
4. Character
5. Class
6. Empathy
7. Kindness
8. Patience
9. Trust
10. Common Sense

If you have these things... everything you will ever need will follow... I promise. In terms of spending and spending power one of the best pieces of advice I've ever been given is buy good... and own it for a long time... as far as food buy the best you can afford. At this point in life you have to pay careful attention to every purchase and each and every choice and decision... make notes of everything  of what you spend and what you consider... and have to reconsider... someday you will tell your story of what you were able to overcome and thrive  during difficult times and it could become someone's survival guide for the future.

This is the time it's important to look at life, yourself and your situation realistically and keep your wits about you... the people who come through difficult times don't panic... it's not always easy... but trust me on this one... I know a little something about surviving... You have to start by taking back your power by reclaiming the responsibility for your life. You really have to demand more of yourself because time is ticking away and we have all already wasted too much time worrying about things that don't matter or may never happen... that does not mean bury your head in the sand but face everything when it needs to be dealt with... start by becoming laser focused on the things you can control. Nothing outside of you has power over you...you decide how you think, how you feel and do the things in your life that matter. Take full ownership of your life and you will become free from a lot of negativity and nonsense... You will become amazed at the transformation in your life when you raise the bar on who has access to you and your ideas and energy... maybe most importantly try to pay off your bills and eliminate your debt as much as possible... solvent people are not as easy to manipulate... and if you can... if you know someone who needs help... don't wait for them to ask. We were just discussing last night at dinner... we don't need anything right now besides food and shelter... but there are people who have more hungry mouths to feed than two and have less desirable living conditions... and need medication (that is facing massive tariffs too) and constant medical care... so while things are going to become increasingly difficult in the near future... they are going to be much more difficult and harder to manage for countless others... think about that and be grateful every coming day for the problems that you don't have to deal with.

I noticed in the last few months there are a lot of dead people walking around with no empathy, emotional intelligence or good intentions... just sabotaging and manipulating others.... steer clear and don't engage; these are the people I was talking about when I said there are certain people around who are here for nothing else other than to remind us who not to become.  The days are flying by and the sand eventually runs through the hourglass of life...There is more to life than working, paying bills and being stressed out by every single thing...take walks, get fresh air... enjoy music and laughter again... joy and happiness does not have to be expensive.

Meanwhile... Your anger is telling you where you feel powerless...Your anxiety is telling you that something in your life is out of balance...Your fear is telling you what you care about the most... Your apathy is telling you where you are overextended and burned out... All these feelings are not random they are messages from your subconscious telling you what you need to work out and take control of... all this being said... don't fear death because it will stop life while you are still living... and you have to take risks or there are going to be no new chapters to your life in the future... one of the things I've been considering since my last installment about possibly moving to Australia is I was afraid I was too old to start over again... but upon reflection...I'm only too old to keep doing what is not working for my life anymore.... In the end we are only going to regret the chances we did not take...or the relationships we were too scared to embrace... and the dreams we didn't chase... and the words we left unsaid... and ultimately the decisions we waited too long to make.

Reading the news or listening to it on television there is a common theme and right now it seems to be that a handful of deeply unhappy people are causing drama and chaos for no reason other than to bolster their own ego and to stockpile more money.

and the rest of it are paying the price for it...I've been paying attention and knew this was coming... that does not make it any easier and there are a few people I would really like to do  the "I told you so dance" (look it up on YouTube Will & Grace--- Debbie Reynolds)... but it won't change anything or make it any easier to deal with right now... so we have to remember that eventually everything will come together leading to something better... so to make this transition less painful, stay hopeful, keep your heart open and trust the process of you finding your way through this web of madness we are living in right now... someone told me along time ago during another dark time that "You can't always have a good day...but you can always face a bad day with a good attitude"... I've always remembered that... Also one of my favorite quotes is by Henry Rollins... "Half of life is fucking up... the other half is dealing with it"

So while it's important to stay home and deal with life's issues right now and not run away to some far off land to escape...even if you are in your own city, town or neighborhood... be a traveler not a tourist...try new things and meet new people and look beyond what is right in front of you.

Thanks for reading... remember you are only as pretty as you treat other people. But at the same time... 

See you next month... stay sane... and happy!