Thursday, April 29, 2004

"Questions for the Game of Life and Love"

From "The Big Book of If" comes the first question (randomly selected):

If you could free yourself from one burden in your life, what would it be?

I think the one "burden" I would gladly give up is that of car care. I hate car problems as whined about in this earlier entry.  I am completely dependent on my car. I feel lost without one and when I have car problems I turn into a whiny baby. I hate having to worry about changing the oil and getting the car cleaned. I pass cars that are broken down on the side of the road that are nicer and newer then mine and I worry that if that car is having problems surely mine will too. I'd like to just be able to get in a car and drive never having to worry about all those little details.

My car has a manual transmission which I absolutely love. But, I stress since my clutch went out last year and the recent mishap due to my timing belt going out. I drive to work through an area that has a long stretch of steady incline. I fear that riding my clutch so much as traffic inches along will wear something else out and I'll hit the car behind me or my clutch will go out again. I have mild panic attacks as I'm driving to work if my car makes any kind of unusual noise.

I know it's time for me to get a new car. I keep putting off shopping for one because I dread the car payment that will come with it. When I paid off my car, I said I would set aside the equivalent amount so that when it came time to buy a car again, I could just pay cash for it. Did I? Hell no! But, I justify my stupidity with the fact that I've been paying for school these past four years.

So...that's my answer. I'd love to read everyone else's answer too. Leave it in the comments or write it in your journal and leave your link.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great question, and I love your answer. With my car history, I understand -- thinking specifically of the time, my car broke down on the interstate in the country, in the rain while my father, deep into Alzheimer's dementia was with me. Mild shudder here at the memory.

Anonymous said...

    Hmmm, I can relate to this. A couple of months ago our Jeep caught fire on the interstate, at night, on the way home from a camping trip. We had our dog & our daughter in the car. Since then, I'm paranoid about every little noise--we were driving the other day & I heard a strange "chirping" sound. Panic began to set in--then we realized it was a bird in the neighborhood--D'oh!!
    As for burdens, it would either be debt, excess weight, or my kid's heart defect. The first two I could work on if I weren't so unmotivated, the last one is out of our control!

Anonymous said...

If you could free yourself from one burden in your life, what would it be?

The burdens we take on in life are mostly of our own choosing. The ones that aren't by our choosing are those put before us by a higher power for reasons we will learn in all good time. I have no answer for this question because knowing me, if I shed one burden, I'd only pick up another in it's place.  Hugs Lanny

Anonymous said...

I answered in my journal.  Great question.  Here's the link to my journal.
http://journals.aol.com/inthepaddedcell/LunATicThoughts/entries/469
Have a wonderful day!
Tricky

Anonymous said...

free myself of a burden...that would be BILLS.  good golly.  I would be a new woman if we could rid of the bills. :)

Anonymous said...

Robbie,  Dont even mention car care!  I had to have a new rebuilt MOTOR put in mine last year which cost about 2 grand.  And as I am typing this, my beloved car is sitting at the shop with a 2700 dollar transmission job.  Ack!

Anonymous said...

For the price of a new car (25K), you can drive a dozen P.O.S. until the tires fall off, leave them on the side of the road (donate to charity-Taxes!) when they die, and still not have car payments. I will never buy a new car again. If you're ego needs a fancy new car, let it pay for it.
Burdens? The guilt that comes from being the parent of an autistic child. You never know if you're doing enough, or if the kid ever knows the difference.

Anonymous said...

Robbie, That`s a good one!
Vince

Anonymous said...

Robbie, I answered your question in my journal (any reason to unload, and I'm right on it).  I think cars are a pain also.  I just want to know I have a working one sitting in the driveway for me for whenever I need to use it!

Anonymous said...

The thing I would love to lose is my fear of illness.  I obsess about getting some terminal illness.  I have ALWAYS done this, ever since I was little.  I couldn't watch doctor shows on TV, because they just gave me one more illness to be afraid of.  I often wonder what it must be like to be a normal person and not have that fear hanging over one's head all the time.  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

Good question! My answer is in my journal
http://journals.aol.com/ggal3133/LivinginSavannah/entries/653

Anonymous said...

I think the one burden I would gladly give up would be fixing my own meals.  I wish I could hire a personal chef to come in and make sure my every meal and snack was made, on time, beautiful, hot or cold - according to recipe, and very, very healthy.  I'd also like each thing to taste really good.  Amen.  ::sigh::

I've NEVER had a car paid off.  I've always been so hard on my cars that they usually wear out before they're paid for.  Debt ensues.  Interest rates are really low right now... it might be a good time to consider a new sensible vehicle?

Anonymous said...

I would definitely remove the burden of accounting.  I hate balancing my checkbook and double that with a husband who loves to zip-zip the crap out of our debit card and not tell me or record it- well its just agony!!  Kristi

Anonymous said...

OK, I'll bite.  The first thing that came to mind was (and I know how idiotic this sounds).. washing my hair!  I've got like hip-length locks that take hours to dry and comb out.  It's an enormous hassle.  ¤Holly

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, without reading anyone else's comments, I have to actually think about this one!  My first answer would be the burden of having a husband that is deaf in one ear and how I would wish him to be able to have total hearing, but that is about him and not me.  So, my one burden would most likely be to be able to rid myself of envy.  I am trying to do so, but am having a tough time battling it.
Hugs and love, Lisa

Anonymous said...

P.S.:  I did not put to be rid of my disease as a burden I want to be rid of, mainly because I feel it's something I need to go through this time around to learn from.
Hugs and love, Lisa

Anonymous said...

LISA: Your burden his blessing is probably what he is thinking. ;-p Thanks for the P.S. I was wondering why you didn’t your illness.

HOLLY: I sooooo hear you on this one. My hair isn’t quite hip-length. It’s only to the small of my back but good grief some days it’s just crazy trying to comb out all of the knots after I wash my hair.  Unlike most people with long hair who can go a day or two without washing it, I have an oily scalp and must wash mine daily. I swear I shed worse than any dog. Clumps and clumps of hair come out daily. It’s a hassle but yet I don’t get it cut. I find that having to blow-dry and style my hair everyday to be worse. Thanks for biting!

KRISTI: Snickering at the accounting burden! That’s what I do for a living. I love accounting but yeah having to track down other people’s errors is no fun!


SLO: I couldn’t hack a continuous car payment. Debt stresses me out and makes me feel trapped. I just hate that as soon as I get a car paid off I manage to find another use for that money instead of saving it. UG!  Cooking? Wow. I guess it would be nice but I like the food that I cook, but heck it would be great if someone came along and cleaned the darn kitchen after I was done. I’d probably cook more often if it were for the mess that I have to clean up afterwards.

GGAL: Thanks for playing I will be checking yours out soon. Playing catch up this weekend.

MLRAMINIAK - LISA: Wow, that’s interesting. I always have this nagging in the back of my mind when things go well that the floor is going to drop out from under me. Kind of the same as you but not quite.

KAREN: Thank you. I’m sorry to take so long to get over there and comment. I did go read it but didn’t have time to read your entire entry so I didn’t want to leave a comment until I could take the time to catch up with you.

VINCE: Um…thanks. But, you’re supposed to play with me. Don’t make me pack up my toys and go home!

Anonymous said...

SCREMO: I have owned three cars in my life. The first one cost me $800 and lasted less than a year. It was a ’78 Plymouth Horizon. I bought it when it was 10 years old.  The second one was $3500, probably 4k with financing. It was an ’84 Chevy Chevette. It was 4 years old when I bought it and I drove the car 7 years until it was falling apart. My current car is the third car. I bought it brand new and am so very grateful that I did. It’s a ’95 Ford Escort. The first 4 years I had no worries what-so-ever. I paid 12K (13k with interest) and I’ve been driving it for 8 ½ years. I put less money for repairs into it then I did my used cars and I have always, until recently, had confidence in it when I took it on the road. I’ve made several trips to TX and back and countless trips to AZ. I will pay the premium for my piece of mind, not my ego, as evidenced by my choice in cars. I don’t intend on paying 25K for my next car. I’m looking at approximately 18 to 20 max. Guilt is a horrible burden to live with especially when it comes to your child. If it’s any consolation I’ve heard many parents with children who weren’t “special needs” (for lack of a better description) say similar things as what you are saying. I think it’s the scariest thing about being a parent. Not knowing if what you’re doing is right, or enough, or even matters. Some of the best parents can have the worst kids and vice versa. Personally, I think you just have to do your best, out of love, and accept whatever comes as a result. But, some things are easier said then done. Have you been to Mia’s site? You should check it out. Thanks for sharing. :-)

Anonymous said...

INDIGO: Ack! Is right! I would rather just get a new car for that kind of money. Good luck!

BABYSHARK: Bills suck! It’s probably tough with children too! Always something when you have kids and I bet it’s so hard to say no.

TRICKY: Thanks for playing along. I imagine you can think of quite a heavy burden that you’d like to give up. I feel like a baby when I whine about my car in relation to what others, such as yourself, have to deal with. I will be by soon to check out your answer.

LANNY: Always the sage! And, most definitely right.

DONAH42: Caught fire! And, you’re still able to drive it. That’s amazing! I sure hope you manage to have a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, some burdens are out of our control. It was hard for me to pick something because I know ultimately other people face challenges on a daily basis that I couldn’t even imagine having the strength to contend with.

SISTERCDR: Wow, that would be a challenging situation. Reminds me I shouldn’t be such a whiner. It also brought back a memory of when I broke down halfway between Dallas and San Antonio and the rain was so heavy I couldn’t see two feet in front of me. On top of that, I locked my keys in the car when I got out. What a nightmare!

Anonymous said...

Robbie-good question...
I would free myself from those wanna be helpful micromanagers of one's life! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Robbie - I know I am late with tis one but it took some thinking... things like bills, whining from the kids, and law school exams all crossed my mind... but If I could be free of one burden it would not be my burden that I would want lifted, it would be my husband's burden with a chronic illness.  It is only my burden in the sense that there is nothing I can do to make him better... and that IS difficult... so that would be the burden I would be free of.

Can't wait to see the next question!  :-)

Anonymous said...

RRVEH1: Funny, I wish there were more people who didn’t need to be micromanaged. I’m very much a stay out of your face manager. But, I only can do that if I can trust your work output. Right now I’m contending with a situation where I have to check EVERYTHING that my assistant does which ends up being more work than help to me. :-(

JLREYNOLDS: Well, I’m surprised that didn’t hit you right away. After all, in a relationship, one person’s “burden” is everyone’s.  Being that it’s chronic, it sounds like it won’t be going away anytime soon. As such, I hope that you and he can find some way to make it a blessing. People like you put me to shame with my whining about trivial things. Sheesh! Law school, kids, work, and the challenges of an illness. You amaze me!

Anonymous said...

How'd I miss this game....I know it's late but I still wanna play.  And, since there appears to be no rules saying I can't (not that I'd heed them) here's my burden:

If I could get ride of one burden it would be the burden of sudden and unexplained rage.  Sometimes I just get so mad that I think my head will pop out of frustration.  It's usually short lived ~seconds or minutes~ but I still hate the feeling it leaves on my soul.


xxoo  hugs Robbie!!!

ckb