I Don't Need Much

Material things don't mean that much to me.  I don't need a big, fancy house with a thousand rooms, a maid and a butler.  I just want an ordinary place with a full basement, a formal dining room, a couple of extra bedrooms for guests, a private office, a sun room - oh, and at least three bathrooms, one for me, one for Nancy, and another, if - again we have guests.  And maybe someone to come in and clean once a week.  And someone else to do the yard work.

I'm just a simple guy at heart.  I don't need diamonds or rubies to feel good about myself or long ermine robes.  Frankly, that sort of ostentation just seems silly to me.  All I need are the basics: casual clothes, obviously, for when I'm casual, work clothes for work, "Sunday best," workout clothes - I've got special gear that "wicks away" sweat.  Plus of course winter clothes, summer clothes, sleep clothes.  I guess that covers it.  I need several changes of each, of course, plus plenty of options in footwear, neckties, and so forth.  All in all, my wardrobe takes up about one and a half closets plus all my dresser drawers.  But really, I'm very simple.

Some people feel they need the very best of everything, they're like, "Peel me a grape, Roscoe," or "pass the candied peacock's tongue."  If you looked in our refrigerator, you'd see how simply we live.  We have some prosciutto, brussels sprouts, asparagus, maybe some leftover pork roast, almond milk, tea, three or four kinds of cheese, bacon, avocados, and that's about it.  Oh, and sauces, pesto, bleu cheese dressing, ranch.  Frankly, I forget what all's in there.

Downstairs - oh, did I forget to mention we have a second refrigerator in the basement? - we have tangerines, grapefruit, apples, and mangoes.  Plus a chest freezer full of meat.  Oh, and I nearly forgot.  We have a mini-fridge just for soft drinks.  That about covers it.  Except for the food in the pantry, I forgot to mention that.  As you can see, I get along on very little.

It's not that I'm smug about it.  In fact, I'm incredibly humble.  But it just galls me to see all those other selfish people going on living lives of indecent excess and never giving it a second thought.