Going without

I've gone without a lot in my life and have also had a lot; I guess that's how life works. It gives and takes. It's interesting to think of items that once held so much importance to me but later seemed insignificant which, I guess, is the way things go. We change and so do the things around us.

As part of the #weekend-engagemwent concept I run weekly one of the post topics suggestions this week revolves around three items a person might have, but would miss if they didn't have them. I excluded phones and computers from the questions as I think they would be an easy answer. I began to think about what items I'd not want to be without and here's three I came up with.

Reading glasses

This is something that, five years ago, I would not have thought I'd have to list; I guess as time passes one wears out. Thinking back to my twenties I would have called you bonkers had you suggested that any of me would ever wear out but here I am in my early fifties and...sure enough, my bits are wearing out. (Some of them still work perfectly though.) 😁

I was prescribed reading glasses in 2018 and these days am reasonably lost without them. I can read my phone, books and computer without them, just not so well and I do that thing where I hold the device at arm's length so my eyes can better focus. My distance vision is great but up close, without my reading glasses...well, what I read is rather blurry and who knows what I might type if I tried to do so without my reading glasses on. Let me do a little experiment...I'm going to take my glasses off and type something. Ready?

I jist tooj mt grassez og to tyle this sentonce anf hav np ideea wot I/m typung so I kope ik mapes senze.

Ok, I just made that all up because I'm a nutbag, but I think you get the idea.

On the occasions I've sent emails and messages after typing without my glasses on I tend always to have typos and, worse yet, I can't see what auto-correct is doing to the words I type.

A simple phrase like, I'm so hungry right now, could potentially be changed to I'm so horny right now, and whilst there's a good chance that's true, it may not be the appropriate text to send in some cases. So I use my glasses and limit my text messaging on those occasions I don't have them.

My Oakley sunglasses also have prescription lenses in because I need to be able to see the front sight of my guns when shooting. It's all good at the range but when I'm inside (and don't have my reading glasses with me so have my Oakleys on) I constantly get snide and sarcastic remarks like, there's no sun inside you know, and oh yeah, it's so bright in here huh? My well practiced and rapidly deployed, why don't you fuck off and die, face usually puts an end to further comment. (Why can't people just mind their own business?)

Outdoor and survival gear

I'm something of an outdoorsman and over the years have spent a lot of time collecting equipment that gives me the ability to reach, and spend time in, Australia's wilderness areas; it's something I absolutely love doing and I tend to feel more comfortable when I'm out there.

Over the years I've gathered a rather extensive amount of equipment and whilst I work towards items that have multiple uses to limit the sheer amount and weight of my equipment...well, let's just say, I have a lot of stuff.

Be it my handheld GPS unit, boot knife, first aid kits, water purification systems, hat, boots, solar-collectors, flint and steel, paracord, firearms, maps and compass or any other of the many items I have, each has an impart part to play. Collectively they bring me with the ability to go remote at a moment's notice should I need to and on planned trips my equipment helps make them more enjoyable, safer, and comfortable.

As a man who likes to be prepared, prides himself on it to be honest, I'd feel crippled without my outdoor, survival and safety equipment; I'd feel vulnerable and exposed. It would limit my ability to escape the city and put my safety, and that of anyone with me, at risk through being ill-equipped and ill-prepared.

My pillow

Don't laugh y'all, I'm serious. Allow me to clarify though and say, the right pillow rather than a specific one.

I'm not always a good sleeper. I don't mean I'm a naughty sleeper, a mischievous or rascally one, just that I don't always sleep well for various reasons.

Having the right pillow helps facilitate the fall asleep process and nurtures the stay asleep condition that I like to maintain as often as possible. Not having the right pillow doesn't work well for me and have I been known to toss and turn, bash a pillow to within an inch of its life, mumble and grumble and generally be really fucken annoyed when I have the wrong pillow? You bet your ass I have!

My pillow-buying process is an incredibly important time for me and I've been known to take an inordinate amount of time selecting the right one. It's comical really, although I suppose it's not all that funny for anyone who might be with me at the time. Comical probably gives way to annoying and embarrassing pretty quickly. But the selection process is required as it helps mitigate in-bed wrong-pillow sleep-malfunctions that will ensue should the wrong pillow be selected.

So that's my three items. The loss of each from my life would not go so well and if you've ever seen a grumpy G-dog you'll know it's not pleasant and best avoided.

If you're interested in seeing the topics and getting involved see this post and follow the guidelines.