The riches of the world

The other night I was driving to Matilda's house for dinner and I drove by this house that I have driven by probably a thousand times or more.  It's out in the country.  It's nothing special.  It has a garage that needs to be finished taking down.  It has old cars in the field directly beside their house.  There are usually dogs running around the house.  Rarely though, do I see people around there.

Probably has to do with the fact that I am whizzing by at about 60+ mph but I always look at this particular house for some reason and don't recollect seeing anybody walking around, playing in the yard, mowing, or ANYTHING.  And yes...I'm sure somebody lives there.  You can tell when a property is abandoned.  This one isn't. 

As I drove by the other night though, I saw something I had never ever seen.  There were a driveway full of vehicles.....not junked out ones either.....and a front yard just FULL of people sitting around in their lawn chairs around a fire in the front yard.

Immediately I felt a pang of jealousy.  This is exactly what I said into my voice recorder:
"The true rich people of the world are the ones that have plentiful friends that can sit around the fire in their yard...no matter what their yard looks like...the friends that always go do things together, even if it's doing nothing...like fishing.  I don't have those friends.  I don't have those kinds of friends.  I have a lot of friends, per say, but I don't have a lot of friends to hang out with.  So those that have a lot of those friends...in my opinion...are very very rich."

It made me think of all the people in my life and all my "friends."  If you look on my facebook, you will see somewhere around 714 friends.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my facebook people.  I love being able to share that tiny bit of their life with them and share mine as well.  I can't tell you how many status messages I have read where someone is having a get-together at their place and they have a bonfire.  I think that is very cool.

But when I actually SAW this fire in this yard with all these people sitting around.....looking like they were relaxed and having a wonderful time...I was immediately envious.  Green with envy I guess you could say. 

I have always been the type of person that loves to entertain those around me.  I didn't always know it but I was.  And still am.  I love having people come to my home and have a meal with me and do something fun.  I'm not one that likes to sit around watching movies, eating popcorn and not talking.  I think I would pass out if I had to shut up for too long.  That's why I don't go to many movies. 

A bonfire is something I have never had though.  Mainly because I have never lived anywhere that I could have one.  When I lived in the "G-spot," we had a good sized back yard.....with a propane tank close by on each side as well as my own tank.....so that kinda put a damper on lighting a fire.  Besides, when I lived there, I was too busy trying to raise my husbands to do much entertaining.  And not a whole lot of people wanted to come to "G-spot."  Not a lot of them want to come to where I live now either so I guess that's why it's so hard for me to have those kinds of things. 

Another reason that I have never hosted a bonfire is because I have always worried SO MUCH about what my house looks like; what my yard looks like; and I don't know why.  I do believe people when they tell me that they are there to see me and not my house because when I go to their house.....I don't care what their house looks like.  I would say a good portion of the people I visit.....I don't even remember what their house looks like!  Unless it's extreme.  Then I will tell you it's extreme.

Anyway, if you are one of those people that have lots of friends around you at all times...enjoying life and relaxing around fires and just "shooting the sh!t," consider yourself a rich man... or woman.  However it works for you. 

When I drove by that house that night.....I wanted nothing more than to have my real and true friends by my side...in their lawn chairs...sitting around an open fire...telling stories of their day...of their life...of their hopes...and of their dreams. 

Maybe one of these days I will get my wish.  Until then.....keep keepin on friends.  Maybe we'll meet soon...around a fire...solving the problems of the world.