This past week, we visited a resort here on the island with a deep water harbor. There was a 4.7 million dollar yacht tied up in one of the slips that was for sale. The folks we were with talked about how neat it would be to own one of those but I couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for such a thing. I kept thinking of what a waste it was for a single person to own something like that. In the same vein, we visited some people who live in a nice home across the road from an oceanfront property that is opulence personified.  The home is owned by a San Francisco surgeon who flies up here in his own plane. He is single and the property includes a 12 car garage. On an island that couldn’t have more than 50 miles of roadway. That house is excess to the nth degree.

A couple of days ago, we were expecting company so I was building a campfire to ward off the chill off the ocean. I watched as an eagle sat patiently in a tree behind our camper, waiting for his (or her) dinner to appear either on the prairie behind us or in the water down the hill. 

When I had the fire built, I saw the eagle had caught something; a fish perhaps or some small animal who had ventured out into the open. He or she was tearing it apart either to eat themselves or preparing it for a baby somewhere not far off.  Whatever it was, it was hidden by a branch so I guess I’ll never know.

I do know we could take a lesson from that eagle about consuming more than we need. 

By this time, I had a nice fire and was wishing I had taken some hot dogs out of the freezer but our company was due and I didn’t want to have a mouthful of hot dog when they arrived. Aside from wanting that hot dog though, it hit me that I didn’t really want anything else, certainly not a 4 million dollar yacht or a 5000 square foot home that I would have to take care of. The only other thing I needed at that time was a poking stick for the fire and it didn’t take long to find one. 

All of a sudden, I realized that I had everything I needed right there and the peaceful feeling I got from this knowledge was wonderful. I expect some of that comes from my age and the realization that even if wanted all that stuff, I’m not going to get it nor do I need it. 

 I’ve never smoked pot, but I wonder if it was a similar feeling.