Enough

It’s more than the glass half empty or half full.

When hosting a gathering, I have a tendency to over-serve. Not in the alcohol sense, but by serving more food than necessary. I try to please everyone by considering dietary restrictions and providing sufficient quantities, but also not offering an irresistible twenty-foot buffet. Guests remaining hungry is inexcusable to me, but neither should every gathering result in an uncomfortable Thanksgiving sensation of an overfilled belly. I trust my guests to know when they’ve had enough. Dispensing antacids isn’t something I want to do.

The concept of satisfaction — having enough to not be wanting, yet also not being overwhelmed—applies to more than meals. The metaphor of our eyes being bigger than our stomachs refers to a trap to avoid. Sufficient funds to pay your bills, a little discretionary money for fun, and a bit put away for future security are ideal for many. For others, wealth accumulation is insatiable; there is never enough. More is simply more and doesn’t always equate to better.

I am grateful to have enough food, enough money, and enough home for my needs. To some, I am very fortunate, while others judge otherwise. I still feel the sting of a former coworker’s comment to me as members of our team upgraded to larger homes. Her curled lip as she said, “Are you really happy there?” made me feel so slighted. Vinyl siding is common in my community, and hardworking neighbors in the trades park their trucks on their driveways. These things, considered a nuisance and outlawed in other areas, don’t distress me. Our house wasn’t perfect when we moved in, but improvements made as we could afford them have resulted in our forever home. I am content here.

When I look at what others have, I think: are your status symbols truly yours, or are they actually owned by a bank or credit card? I’ve known people who’ve declared bankruptcy, and also people who have eight-figure portfolios, and I discovered that the wealthier aren’t always the happier. For some wealthy folks, I don’t think they own so many fine possessions, but that those possessions actually own them. I knew someone whose long-sought-after expensive vehicle controlled them. The fear of it getting scratched in a public lot led to time-consuming searches for safe parking spaces. Genuine physical illness resulted when it was in a fender-bender. How much joy can an object bring when it also brings stress?

My curiosity about people has caused me to ponder how the ultra-rich manage their possessions. With multiple homes, do you lug your favorite outfits from place to place, or does each residence contain identical wardrobes? What about pets? If you have them, do they travel along with you? Or does someone else care for them? Appreciable amounts of money can smooth over those problems that wealth itself brings. You can hire staff to remove the dust that is settling in your mansion during your absence. Someone comes to maintain the pool, which is more decorative than a pleasure. Perhaps somebody will turn over the engine of that vehicle(s?) in the garage. 

I’ve long believed that money doesn’t solve every problem, but it can be a formidable eraser; throw enough money at the issue and they sometimes disappear. The disciplinary problem teenager gets enrolled in a new private school. We’ve all seen stories of affluenza. 

However, I’ve seen money cause just as many problems, perhaps even more. Siblings squabble over inheritances, destroying families. Attaining different financial statuses can ruin long-time friendships as well, as not every person can afford the entertainment choices their rich friend desires.

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is now the first person in history to become a trillionaire. That amount is mind-boggling, as it would undoubtedly fund an average person’s descendants for as long as humanity exists! His desire to have more and more and more is unfathomable to me. Perhaps being a “trillionaire” was the goal for him, but in my mind, it created a fresh problem.

If you are already by far the richest man in the world, what drives you? If it is trillionaire status, then what? Actually, so what? Can the average person name the world’s first millionaire? People with the designation of “king”, “president” or “MVP” are the same as us—at some point, we all die. More money buys better healthcare, but it doesn’t stop the inevitable. “Quadrillionaire” is the next significant number, but that is unattainable, even for him. 

Elon reached a goal, and bravo to him for doing so. Your goal might be retirement or a new car. For many Americans, getting out a debt is goal enough. I hope you reach your goal, and when you do, I hope you set a new one. Goals get us up every day.

Poor Elon! Yes, poor. Methinks he has created a monster: he has now rendered money meaningless, at least for him. Contemplate that concept. Jimmy Kimmel had an excellent monologue exemplifying the magnitude of Musk’s wealth. He can buy almost any ‘thing’ to give himself pleasure. There are endless media speculations about Musk’s motives, but only Elon knows whether he is happy. Perhaps even he doesn’t know.

There is another concept to consider. You, dear reader, might be dirt poor or rolling in dough, but you can attain something that it seems Elon never will: enough. 

It’s up to you to decide what that enough is. 

What do you consider “enough”? Please add your thoughts to the comment section.