You know, I don't think about how lucky I am often enough, and I do think about it fairly often. But in today's world, when a growing number of Americans have less and less, I really do have enough.
I was reading the Middle Earth Journal. I try to keep up with it as much as I can, Ron in Portland was one of the very first people to comment on my blog that I didn't personally know, and he's got a special place in my heart because of it. Well, also because they were nice comments.
Anyway, there's a post up from yesterday by IceGuy called "The Other Gas Price Rise" that made me think about how lucky I am. See, natural gas prices are up almost 400% from just 2 winters ago - that's dizzying. And I knew that prices were going to jump impossibly this year - anyone who watches the news or reads the papers knows this. Now, my dad owns the house I live in, and pays the gas bill (very generous of him, really, I use more than he does, because I use the stove and oven, and he only ever uses the microwave). I asked him, "Dad, what are we going to do about the heating bill this winter"? I was thinking about setting the thermostat lower, getting an electric space heater to be used in the TV room if it got too drafty, mentally locating my warmest socks.
Dad asked, "What do you mean, 'what are we going to do'?"
"About the price of gas, Dad, the heating bill's going to go way up this winter."
"We're going to pay it," he said.
And I realized that Dad, through a combination of work and luck, has enough that he's not worried about the gas bill quadrupling. I expect that he'll complain when he actually sees the bill, but he'll be able to pay it without having to sacrifice. And I live in his house.
I am very lucky, and very grateful.
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