The comforts of our lives...

It came up in conversation yesterday that we don't realize how comfortable our lives really are.
The daily trips to Starbucks to buy the 3.95 cup of coffee is just part of what I do. It's not a treat I give myself, it's just routine.
As times get tougher, and I see people I care about being affected by lay offs and my own job security hanging by a thread, I am examing what is necessary and what is not.
Can I live without cable? What would life be like without channel 55 or CNN? Of course I can live without it, I just don't want to.
Starbucks, cable, expensive face soap, heat blasting at 70 non stop. These are all things I can live without. And I just may have to at some point.
At this point I am still able to have these things, but only ponder their absence.
I have a vacation coming up. It will consist of going to Portland art Museum, maybe a day trip to Mult. Falls, an afternoon at Powells. Yes, I would rather fly down to California to visit friends, but that would be irresponsible to myself right now.
We are all going to be forced to live simpler whether due to losing a job, or the fear that we will.
I think we are all going to discover just how much we can live without and may even find some forgotten things we love to do.
I"m thinking the kitchen table will come back to life for many families. Egg salad will replace oven roasted turkey sandwiches and monopoly will replace a night out. This could definetely have an upside.
jb