If I Had A Million Dollars

Saturday, October 22, 2005

When I was a little girl, I loved to play with Tupperware bowls on my head, eat jell-o, live in a cardboard box fort and I desperately wanted to grow up to be a stegosaurus. While I still like to eat jell-o and wish I had time to play in a fort, I’ve been reconciled to the fact that I will never grow up and become a stegosaurus. Most of the things we love to do during childhood seem to slip away as we get older, but one thing that I still remember is dancing around the kitchen to ‘If I Had a Million Dollars’ with my dad. My sister and I both had favourite songs for awhile that we shared with our dad. I was definitely the cooler daughter, because my sister’s song was Chasin’ that Neon Rainbow by Alan Jackson.
I sang the song for my dad on a CD for his Christmas present and changed the words to match our family inside jokes. (Instead of K car, I sang Volvo…hahaha, oh the Pede family Volvo(s) - yes, Volvos plural). I love the song for obvious sentimental reasons but because I always imagine what I would do with the money. Today on the news they were talking about a man who just cashed in on the largest lottery winnings in the US, I think it was something like $340 million dollars. Insane amount of money for one person and even after the government takes half of it away in taxes, he’ll still be loaded.
I thought about all the things I would do with the money. Pay for school, pay rent, pay for a car so I can get to the hospitals more easily…selfish things mostly. I’ve always said to myself that I don’t want to live in Canada all my life because I’m tired of the materialistic culture that surrounds me daily. When I was in Costa Rica, I lived with a family there for two weeks. I witnessed many acts of kindness that still make my heart smile and even bring tears to my eyes to this day. The first day we were there we were showing pictures of our home to help them understand what life is like in Canada. I had brought a small photo album with a picture of my house. I didn’t even realize that we had two cars in our driveway. My ‘papa’ commented in Spanish about the two cars and once I realized what he was saying I got embarrassed about the fact that we had two ugly Volvos. Halfway through my explanation of how losery my family is, I remembered that they didn’t even have a car and actually paid for us to get to their home in a taxi. What a lesson that was for me. I was embarrassed of our Pede family Volvo and they didn’t even have a car, and to boot they used what little money they did have to make my life easier so I didn’t have to carry my suitcase a few blocks.
Although I know in my heart that things don’t make me happy, I have so many things it’s ridiculous. I like things, but I know I could live without them. So while it’s nice to think about what I would do with a million or $340 dollars, the fact is, I’m happy I don’t have that much money. Money can’t buy happiness. It’s such a cliché but one that I believe with my whole heart. I don’t want a huge house… or expensive Volvos. And while I say this now, if you asked me to give away my computer or hat collection, I’d probably cringe. Money doesn’t make me happy and yet I am consumed with materialism at times. I’m thankful for what I do have, but I honestly look forward to the day where I can prove that I’m still happy without all my stuff. I can’t wait to be stuff-less.

posted by Rachel Pede @ 2:59 AM   2 comments