Living on a budget

You realize that you’re living on a budget when you forget your CTA pass at home, and you decide to walk it instead of paying two dollars for a 5 minute journey by bus. 

This is what happened to me today.  It was very hot, and I was so pissed off at myself, for forgetting the CTA pass (which costs $86, and is valid for 30 days).  Notwithstanding the heat, I decided that bussing it was not worth the money.  The walk was a very good opportunity for me to reflect on the whole scope of this journey of mine in the US. 

The sculptural elements on the way, probably aided my reflections...

Sometimes I ask myself, why am I doing this?  Why did I decide to leave all the comforts of home?  Sometimes I think I was in a bout of craziness when I took the decision.  Back home, I had all I needed, and I could enjoy everything I wanted.  Having a job, made spending not an issue and I never really budgeted.  I must admit my life was too comfortable, perhaps too unchallenging. 

Not being pampered gives a new dimension to life.  I’m becoming to realise that all in all, this is a necessary experience, which I had to undergo to really understand, what’s going on in the world, to get in touch with reality. 

Being forced to select the cheaper options is not nice, but it is helping me understand what most of the people in the world experience in their life.  Those are the real life decisions that some people in the world have to consider.  Some can’t even consider these options, because they need to think about more urgent decisions to be made, such as whether they will have any food to eat, or a place where to stay for the night. 

Someone this week, described Malta as a paradise, and asked why would someone decide to leave paradise?  It reminded me of someone else who we as christians believe did the same.  

I'm not comparing myself to Jesus, but I believe the answers shouldn't be that different.  Sometimes we do things which we don't really understand, but of  one thing I'm sure:  This step was necessary & wonderful.

P.S. Mind you, before you start thinking I'm living like a tibetan monk, I must tell you that I'm still very backwards in the journey of detachment from worldly pleasures, and I'm not sure if I ever will.... I have just opted for a pair of branded sun glasses, when I could have gone for a much cheaper kind.  It was probably a moment of sheer bliss, when I wasn't conscious of what I was doing (or how much I was spending...)