The statement “the unexamined life is not worth living” is ascribed to Socrates. As a once dedicated self-help book reader, I encountered it multiple times and used to embrace it fervently. Now, my interpretation of it is more relaxed; I view it as a simple reminder to pay attention to how I am living my life.
I recalled it recently when contemplating some minor improvements that my brothers and I made to my parents’ house on Cape Cod. It has been in the family for over 40 years. My parents bought it from a divorced couple who wanted to be rid of it and each other. The sellers did not even want the furniture, artwork, plates, glasses, or pots & pans. The house was almost fully furnished. So after shopping for relatively few additional household items and doing a major cleaning, it was ready to support carefree summer living.
Over the years we did a lot of work to the outside of the house; the ocean air takes a toll on wood and windows. But the interior stayed in surprisingly good condition and we did not scrutinize it.
Last summer was the first after our Mom passed away. We decided to take a fresh look at the inside of the house for possible improvements. The following is a small sample of what we “discovered” and fixed:
- We did not like most of the artwork and took much of it down, and sold some.
- Three tables in the living room were too high or low to use easily while seated. We replaced them with cheap alternatives that fit better.
- The TV was too small for our older eyes. We got a bigger one.
- Two bedroom closets lacked shelving and one had no pole for hangers. (How did we not notice that?) We added them.
- The dressers in two bedrooms were both ugly and too small. We bought nicer ones.
We were amazed by the number of compromises that we had happily lived with for 40 years, but, with a new perspective, realized should be improved. The fixes were quick, cheap (thanks Craigslist), and delightful.
This chapter reinforced for me that it is indeed very good to examine one’s life every once in a while but, for most things, more often than every forty years.