The Life we Live

I work in Human Resources.
I work in the graveyard shift.
I help people with their issues and concerns.
I spend most of my weekends going to the mall.
I love playing basketball
I love playing video games
I love watching movies
I love reading books
I love spending time in nice restaurants
I love out-of-town trips
I enjoy occasional drinking
I collect a lot of magazines and comics, trading cards, miniature figurines

… There is so much that we want to do and with so little time.

I want to play airsoft regularly again
I want to create my own website
I want to put up a coffee lounge
Etc, Etc, Etc.

A few days ago I was wondering if being in the industry that I am currently in, and the position I hold is really what I desire. The demands are often high, your are constantly seeking for resolution for issues and concerns thrown at you, and at the end of the day you still have to put on a smile to all those whom you encounter. So I ask myself, is this the job that I want in my life.

Due to the schedules that we have during the work week, the only time you get to spend with your family or loved ones is during weekends. There is hardly even time to relax since you will most likely be out at the malls, movies, bars and out of town road trips. (Unless those activities are your form of relaxation) By Sunday night, all your energy may have been drained already. Then you start your work week in less than 12 hours. So I then asked myself, is this the only time I can spare for my family and/or friends.

Next year I will be joining at least 3 basketball teams for the Alumni League in Ateneo. Basketball has been a big part of my life, and up to this day I would give my all whenever I would play in these tournaments. The challenge here is that the games are only played during weekends, and if I’m unlucky, there would be days when I would have 3 games in one day. So now, the decision has to be made whether to play or spend the time doing something else.

I have collected over 800 DVDs. I even had a large shelf built to hold my collection. And the thing is I still haven’t watched about 200 of them, there are all still sealed. (Not counting the TV series’ which recently I bought the box set of The Pacific. I have issues and issues of Maxim, FHM, UNO, Rogue magazines, and most of them I haven’t opened or read yet. That goes for the dozens of books I bought but are still sealed. Dungeons and Dragons, James Rollins, Lord of the Rings, Narnia Chronicles, Zacharia Sitchin. I have invested in Magic the Gathering trading cards, Mage Knight miniatures, Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, MechWarrior. I bought Airsoft guns that I used like twice only! (And the other time was just because I dressed up as Ghost in Call of Duty for Halloween) And I keep asking myself, do I really need all of these??

I won’t go into detail anymore on the other things that I do. But one can only imagine the things we did, are doing and wish to do in our lives. And it seems that there is not enough time for all of these.

Necessities vs. Luxuries. This is how we may be able to decide. Prioritizing the things we do that are considered necessities rather than luxuries of life...I guess this is the Life that I want to live.