What have YOU been up to lately? Seriously.....

Yes, I've seen Rock City. But what else have I done?

This weekend, I had a conversation with a person I hadn't seen in about 12 years. It was awkward at first, the way that kind of thing can be. We chatted about jobs and kids, houses, pets. The usual. But then he asked me,

"So, what have you guys been up to? What else have you been doing?"

And I was silent. I just stared at him, dumbstruck by my inability to come up with an answer.

What had we been doing? Raising kids, working, paying bills. Is that it? Is that all there is? I mean, I used to do things..... didn't I?

I think we're so busy with just day to day, working through it that - somewhere along the line - the living part of life has just faded to grey.

I have a list of things I want to do someday. Places I want to go, where I want to take the kids, things I want to see before I die. But, my daughter is almost 12 now and I realize that most of those things are left undone, still waiting for the right time.

When is the right time?

Why all the 'saving for retirement'? Braces? College? A new drain field?

When does life start getting lived and not just prepared for?

So, please share your thoughts. Maybe I'll get inspired.

P.S., if it's any consolation, after a few minutes, I asked him the same question and he had exactly the same reaction as I did. Silence.....