Funny How Things Change

 

I never really sat down one day and made some big announcement. There wasn't a dramatic moment, no grand plan, and definitely no fancy social media post about turning over a new leaf.

What happened was a lot simpler.

The guys I used to spend most of my free time with always seemed to have a cooler full of "good decisions" ready to go. It didn't matter if we were watching a game, grilling burgers, working on a project, or standing around doing absolutely nothing. Somehow a drink always found its way into the plan.

Then life got busy.

People moved. Schedules changed. Everyone had their own stuff going on. Before I knew it, I wasn't spending every weekend in the same crowd. Next thing I knew, six months had gone by and I realized something.

My garage fridge had become mostly a fridge.

Now don't get me wrong. I still laugh just as much. I still tell bad jokes. I still think every trip to the hardware store only requires one thing and somehow costs fifty bucks. Some habits never leave.

But a few things have changed.

My mornings seem less interested in picking fights with me.

I don't wake up wondering why I feel like I got hit by a dump truck that was being driven by another dump truck.

My wallet seems slightly happier too. It's amazing how much money disappears when every gathering requires a contribution to the "fun fund."

The biggest surprise is how much extra time I seem to have. Weekends feel longer. Projects get finished. The lawn gets cut before it starts looking like a wildlife preserve.

The funny part is that I never actually decided to stop anything. I just stopped being around the situation that made it the normal thing to do.

It's kind of like eating donuts. If your buddy shows up every morning with a box, you'll probably eat a donut. If he quits bringing them, suddenly you're not eating donuts every day and wondering where your pants shrunk to.

Life has a way of changing when your surroundings change.

It's only been six months, and I'm not claiming I've unlocked the secrets of the universe. But I can honestly say a few things seem a little easier, a little cheaper, and a lot less likely to require aspirin the next morning.

Besides, these days I'd rather spend my money on tools I probably don't need than things I can't remember buying.

And that's a decision I can laugh about.

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