If I were a rich man

If I were a rich man
26 April 2013

If I were a rich man. 

Which sadly I’m not.  Actually, it’s a double whammy for me, cause I’m neither rich nor a man for that matter.

So what am I exactly?  I’m a woman.  In the prime of her life (hey forty is the new twenty!).  And sadly for me and my family, I am just not rich at all.

In fact, never mind rich, I’d settle for comfortably well-off.  But if that’s a bit of a big ask, I’ll just go with well-off.  It’s not as if I’m greedy or anything.  And I am more than willing to compromise.  Heck, even comfortable alone will perfectly suffice.

Okay, so who am I trying to kid?  I’d quite happily settle with being able to pay the bills.  All of them.  Not having a backlog.  Feeling as if I’m actually ahead. 

I think that more and more people feel this way too.  Sadly life is expensive.  Very much so. 

And I am in the position, where I earn my own income.  I don’t work for a boss and therefore don’t have a monthly salary to fall back on.  There is no basic remuneration package, no sick leave, no compassionate leave, no sickies, no company stationary, no pension, no medical aid, no cell phone allowance, not even free coffee!  And what this means effectively, is that I start the first day of every month on exactly zero.  No money.  Zilch.  Zippo.  Which truthfully scares the bejeebers out of me.  Which is why I prefer to not think about it at all.  I simply get on with it, and do my very best.

So how do I generate some moola?  Well, I am particularly blessed in that my Jumping Castle business does really quite well.  I place a weekly ad in our local paper, and have done so for nearly nine years.  And apart from that, word of mouth is an incredibly powerful tool.  But, I do rely on that telephone to ring, to bring business to me.  And so, this weekend in particular, is rather quite busy.  This always brings me great joy.  And oodles of relief too.  But then again, it is an end-of-the-month-weekend.  And they are normally good.  But after that?  Well, I’ve got exactly four Castles booked after that, up to and including the 18^th of May.  For the whole year.

Scary, hey!  Still the phone will ring once more.  It always does.  And business will come in.  It always does. 

Our Helderberg lies in an abundantly fertile little valley, and so we are blessed with the fruit of many loins.  Those very same fruit, requiring Jumping Castles for their parties.  How lucky am I?

Still, the pressure stays on.  This weekend’s rentals must pay my domestic worker’s salary (I know – I am spoilt to have her, still I can’t live without her).  Next weekend’s rentals the telephone account.  Then there’s daily groceries, doctors, dentists, school fees, Amber’s dancing, Luke’s extra maths, and other extra murals too, my ad in the paper, my cleaning crew, new hockey shoes, a dancing Eisteddfod entry fees, new leotard, presents for birthday parties, etc. etc. etc.  The problem comes in though, when it rains terribly on a weekend, and my bookings get cancelled.  Which means that I effectively fall a whole week behind in generating income.  Not good!

Still, I can’t complain.  Life is good.  And so is business too.  And the very nature of my business, allows me the flexibility to be there for my kids.  To lift and to cart.  To stand alongside the sports field, screaming support.  To do orthodontist and doctor’s visits.  Supervised homework in the afternoons.  Driving here and there.

But, if I was a rich man, or woman…..

• I’d live in Somerset West – closer to the kids’ schools
• I’d have a double story house (a lifelong dream – added bonus of toned thighs from climbing stairs lots)
• I’d have a swimming pool – my children’s dream to have a proper pool, not merely an inflatable one
• I’d have a big garden (with a gardener, as I kill plants if left to my own devices)
• I’d entertain lots
• I’d eat out quite a lot (I don’t really enjoy cooking all that much)
• I’d get take-aways too (so when I say I don’t really enjoy cooking all that much, I mean I really don’t like it at all)
• I’d enjoy shopping more – now it is a chore as it is simply always budget related
• I’d buy my kids more clothes
• I’d still not spoil my kids, as I think it is bad
• I’d spoil myself though – hey, I deserve it!
• I’d do family holidays and lots of them too
• I’d do more outings with my kids, take them out and about more
• I’d get a big seven seater car or a kombi so that I can lift kids and their friends
• I’d have an electric gate – my manual version (with the added benefit of an automatic function when the kids are in the car – I simply boot them out), is a bit tedious
• I’d have the luxury of not panicking when my kids come home with yet another letter asking for money
• I’d get them better sporting equipment
• I’d ensure they had more than enough school uniforms and sports uniforms too – no need for midnight washing
• I’d have the luxury of actually using my tumble drier, as I could afford the increased electricity bill
• I’d indulge myself in a hot air balloon ride and an amble on a gondola in Venice
• I’d spoil my Grantie with a trip to watch a Grand Prix
• I’d spoil my Luke with a trip to watch some of his favourite soccer teams playing all over Europe
• I’d spoil my Amber with shows to all of her favourite music stars and a trip to Disney and Universal Studios too
• I’d spoil my Cole with lots of sporting equipment, trips to watch live Soccer and Rugby as well
• I’d spoil my Mom with a trip to visit my sister
• I’d spoil my brother with a few more guitars as well as some “meet-and-greets” with some of his favourite muso’s of all time – though getting hold of Jimi Hendrix might prove problematic
• I’d spoil my sister and her family with a trip home to SA – a long one at that
• I’d spoil my grandparents with being surrounded by all of their children and grandchildren
• I’d spoil my entire big family with financial security, enabling them to follow their dreams
• I’d spoil my friends with a joint trip to an exotic destination (still debating on whether we’d take our husbands and kids along too)

 

But actually all things considered, I am rather rich already.  I have a family whom I love deeply and who love me deeply in return.  I have amazing, incredible friends.  I am surrounded by natural beauty and bounty every single day.

My cup really runneth over.  Earthly riches mean nothing, if you don’t have the family, the friends, appreciation and gratitude for that which you already have.

I am rich!!!