Things that I would have thought extravagant

My wife came home tired from a long day. She threw her bag on the floor and laid on the couch. I was tired too, so I joined her. The two of us sprawled out, looked like we had fought a war. With our arms covering our eyes, we focused on our breathing and just taking a minute to ourselves. When we had collected ourselves, we talked briefly about our son who was at the beach for the week with his friends.

We joked how that wasn’t right. We were the ones who needed a vacation.

“Okay, let’s go then.” My wife’s words sounded odd at first. But the more we talked, the more sense it seemed to make.

Four weeks later, I had my toes in the sand and head in another world, listening to the waves hit the shore and watching the bright, radiant rays of the sun come up over the horizon. We got away to the beach for a week of recovery.

When I was a young man and money was much tighter, I would have thought a spur-of-the-moment trip , planned in a matter of a day, would have been out of this world. I would have thought the trip too extravagant. Oh, times sure have changed.

Here’s a few more things that I’ve bought in recent weeks that I would’ve once thought out of this world:

—Cool rays. I’ve worn glasses since I was ten or twelve years old. It feels longer. I can’t see much of anything without my glasses. Glasses are expensive. Contacts too. Most vision plans leave a lot to be desired, so I’ve rarely had a second pair of glasses. Along those same lines, I’ve rarely spent money on a pair of prescription sunglasses, it just seemed like a frivolous expense. I had a pair of sunglasses a few summers ago, when I got them on special, but they ended up getting scratched. I figured that would be it. A few weeks ago, though, I broke down and bought a second pair. I hadn’t really worn them yet and then I had to go for an errand this week. I felt like I was on a different planet. I was able to put my sunglasses on and, for once, I could enjoy a beautiful summer day and not go blind. Frivolous or not, it felt great to have them.

—Daily trips for coffee. My alarm on my cellphone goes off every day at 5:30 in the morning. I normally sleep for five or ten more minutes and then I get up and put on a pair of shorts and t-shirt and get in my car. I’m not heading into work. I’m not heading to the gym. Where am I going? I’m headed to the Dunkin Donuts to get my coffee. I regularly drive a few minutes to the coffee shop to pick up two coffees — one for me and one for my wife. We have a coffee maker in our kitchen that makes fine-tasting coffee. I could save myself money by making the coffee at home or giving it up altogether. Most days, though, I remind myself that the trip is one of the few ways I splurge on me.

—New clothes. I’m working from home now. I love the ease and convenience, but I’ve been surprised that I don’t have the clothes. Oh, I wore the same business wear that I wore to the office for the longest time, but it felt uncomfortable and out of place. On top of that, a few of my shirts had been getting a little tattered, so I did what any normal person would do and went online and bought myself a couple of new shirts. I didn’t wait for a sale. I didn’t check my bank account. I simply bought the shirts. I laughed because back in the day, I would have had to check before making a purchase. I’m not rich now, but wealthy enough that I don’t have to worry about a few dollars and that means a world of difference.