The Dream and The Pact

What is the one resource that a General can never get back?

Time. Weapons, men, cities can all be taken back or regained, but time is gone forever. I'd like to say that's a quote from Art of War, but I think it's actually from Narnia or something crap like that.

Then we have "Time is money". I disagree with this one, it implies Money is the important resource, I prefer "Money is time". And this is where we start. Money is important because it buys you time.

So for me, really living is using my time how I want to and in ways that make me feel good, happy, content. This is almost always spending time with friends and family eating and enjoying ourselves. Unforunately we recently received a cease and desist from Greenpeace, ordering us not to have any more friends as the rapid northern migration of said friends is causing a tilt in the earth's axis.

(btw I sneakily backdated this post so it appears before the next topic)

And this is the problem. We are all living such different lives, leading in such different directions. But is there a convergence? Is it possible to have a convergence? Is it possible to have a time down the timeline where we can work out how to live such a similar life that we can cross paths more than twice a year if we're lucky?

From my perspective, and I think I'm lucky, the grass is always greener on My side of the fence. I'm comfortable where I'm at (this is also know as Lazy). When I'm in Elands I think what a great life I could have there, when I'm in Sydney I'm content and happy and can imagine having a great life here too. But I can see that Sydney is not so easy for anyone who doesn't have the great fortune to have a subsidised living arrangment.

I'm going to put my priorities out there in the hope that when you others read it you might see where we can meet on common ground.
1. Family - I think this is pretty obvious. I'm not going anywhere my family isn't.
2. Time - I'm not going to waste my life doing something I hate. I have to enjoy what I'm doing and use all my daily life well. I also want to be able to do what I want with my time, with as little restriction as possible. I suppose this is entirely selfishness.. but surely the point of living, as an individual, is to enjoy yourself?
3. Food - Yeah sure, you're all laughing now. But really ask yourself, could you put this list in any other order? Actually maybe some of you could... but by food I say good, healthy, enjoyable food. Could you take a job that pays stacks of money, but you have to eat McDonalds everyday, and be away from your family.. and you hate it there? Hmmm... Maybe I'm alone here.. but that's how I roll (and I probably will if I keep it this high in my priorities)
4. Money - As much as I hate to put this higher than the next priority, I'm trying to be as honest as possible. It's not about materialism, it's about investing in Future-time, when I'm unable to or not wanting to work. It's also about takes away restriction on time, as above. This does, however, have limits, and has to work in conjuction with all the other points.
5. Friends - It's horrible that this is below point 4 and perhaps this is where the problem is, but I'm trying to be realistic. If it were not below 4 I would have quit my job a long time ago, moved to Elands when everyone else was there, spent our savings on visiting those of you who are trying to topple the planet. Unfortunately we really do need money to enjoy our lives. As romantic as it sounds I don't know if I've got the self sustaining farmer life in me.
6. Travel - I just dig that shit.

Ok. So looking at the above, I look pretty bleak. I'm a family man, that's OK.. but then I'm a selfish, greedy, money hungry person who puts their friends (second) last. If I look at this list though, I think I'm pretty sorted. I don't think my family is going anywhere without me. I'm generally happy with what I'm doing, if I don't like it, I stop. Luckily, in Australia, we can have great food wherever we are, and the same is the case in most countries we're likely to go to. I've got a job that I enjoy and that pays reasonably well. It's the next two point where we start to hit the blockages.

I have to somehow work out how to make money (doesn't have to be a lot, but I have to be able to save, while living comfortably and enjoying what I do, and hopefully pay for overseas adventures) and get you bitches to be in the same fricken postcode, at
least the same first two digits.

This is where the Dream comes in. In and ideal world for ME, we'd all live within walking distance, maybe a pushbike ride or short drive, be earning plenty of money (doing something we enjoy, but with time to do all the other things we want), and be spend the rest of our time eating and preparing to eat, with the occassional (or not so occasional) trip overseas. Preferably with the rest of you.

Is this possible? Unfortunately I don't have zombie friends and I have to ask, persuade, cojole. So I'm going to ask some questions, if you have time, perhaps you could answer and maybe we can seek convergence.

1. Do you share this dream?
2. Do you believe it is possible?
3. Is Australia the place for this to happen? (other suggestions welcome)
4. Is Elands the place for this to happen? (other suggestions welcome)
5. How important is location to you? Do you need aspects of the city/country/ocean/mountain?
6. Would we get shit bored in Elands, if not how many of us would have to go back for us not to get shit bored?
7. WTF can we do for money?

So. If we are even close to any sort of convergence, I'd like to propose a pact, maybe a soft pact, like a goal really. Let's just say Elands is the place. We could propose to try it, all at the same time for 6 months in, say, 2 years, or something similar.

Thoughts? Pipe dreams?