It Was A Beautiful House His house was worthy of inclusion in a glossy magazine! It was a charming redbrick cottage with white-framed dormer windows sprinkled lavishly among the deep-blue roof tiles, and it was nestled among colourful, manicured gardens set in a lush background of tall green trees.
He had spent the best part of the past two years working on it, together with a team of advisors and workers, and most of his savings were now invested in this beautiful home.
When I walked past his house that day, on my way to the swimming pool, John was brushing a few stray leaves off his patterned brick driveway.
He waved me over, and excitedly showed me some new flowering plants his attractive young wife had given him a week or so ago.
John was a tall, strong man in his mid-forties, but his once athletic body, fit from his active sporting days during his twenties, had softened during his office-bound thirties.
Today, it was quite flabby and corpulent from many hours spent drinking beer after work with his buddies.
He Wants To Live There For Ever We admired the new plants and took a short walk around the gardens, and John stopped and waved his arm towards his house, which was glowing with a warm welcome in the bright morning sunlight.
"This house is where I want to live for the rest of my life," he said, proudly.
He looked at me happily, and waited expectantly for my compliments.
However, for months I had willingly showered him with many congratulations for the way he had transformed a crumbling old house into possibly the best looking home in the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, all this money, time, and effort was at the expense of something far more important in his life, and I felt it was time to make John aware of his neglect.
It Is Not Where He Lives! "John, you don't even live there now," I said, with a strong tone of rebuke, "So how can you possibly plan to live there forever?" "What are you talking about? Of course I live here," he said, belligerently as he stared around the gardens as if to fend off invisible marauders from taking his home.
"John, this is a wonderful home, and without doubt is the best in the block.
But it is not where you live," I said, softly.
He looked up at me inquisitively, and I reached forward and sank my outstretched finger into his soft belly.
I poked it hard a few times and said, "This is your home, John; this is the place where you live now, where you have lived all your life, and where you will spend the rest of your life.
" I paused to let my comments sink in, and then I continued.
"I won't ask you how much you have spent on this house and garden," I said, but I will ask you how much time, energy, and money have you spent on caring for your body, because that is where you live.
" He Learned Where He Lived John went pale, and his knees shook a little, so he toddled over to a bench seat snuggled among the flowerbeds.
He sat there slowly shaking his head and occasionally glancing up at me.
I sat alongside him.
"You're right," he said; his voice choking with emotion, "I have totally neglected myself for years, and I used to be so proud of my body.
Now look at it; I have become the fat man I used to laugh at when I was a kid!" "Well, it's not quite that bad," I said, in an attempt to calm him.
"Yes it is," he said, standing up and angrily waving his arms at his house and gardens.
"In fact it is a lot worse, because I have spent everything on this place and I have not given a thought to my body and my health.
I just live each day on the assumption at I shall live for ever; meanwhile my body is in worse shape than this house was when I moved in here two years ago.
" He Planned To Renovate His Real Home "Well, that's not a problem, John, because you are now very good at maintenance and repairs," I said with a soft chuckle.
John looked at me long and hard, and I though I had overstepped the mark.
He then burst into laughter, and come over and shook my hand.
"You're so right," he said with a broad smile.
He slapped his hands on his chest and stomach, and said, "This is where I live, and it is time to get it back into shape.
" He glanced at my towel and swimming costume, which was still tucked under my arm, and he said, "Wait there a moment, and I will get my togs and I shall start getting fit right now!" Do You Know Where You Live? We are all born with just one place to live, and despite modern advances in medicine with operations to replace worn and damaged organs, most of us have to make do with those we had at birth.
You can live longer and happier in your home, when you take great care of it, and use every opportunity to strengthen, repair, and maintain it each and every day.
Love your home, enjoy your home, and be proud of your home; after all, it is the only one you will ever have! © Copyright 2007.
Brian Hunt.
All Rights Reserved.
He had spent the best part of the past two years working on it, together with a team of advisors and workers, and most of his savings were now invested in this beautiful home.
When I walked past his house that day, on my way to the swimming pool, John was brushing a few stray leaves off his patterned brick driveway.
He waved me over, and excitedly showed me some new flowering plants his attractive young wife had given him a week or so ago.
John was a tall, strong man in his mid-forties, but his once athletic body, fit from his active sporting days during his twenties, had softened during his office-bound thirties.
Today, it was quite flabby and corpulent from many hours spent drinking beer after work with his buddies.
He Wants To Live There For Ever We admired the new plants and took a short walk around the gardens, and John stopped and waved his arm towards his house, which was glowing with a warm welcome in the bright morning sunlight.
"This house is where I want to live for the rest of my life," he said, proudly.
He looked at me happily, and waited expectantly for my compliments.
However, for months I had willingly showered him with many congratulations for the way he had transformed a crumbling old house into possibly the best looking home in the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, all this money, time, and effort was at the expense of something far more important in his life, and I felt it was time to make John aware of his neglect.
It Is Not Where He Lives! "John, you don't even live there now," I said, with a strong tone of rebuke, "So how can you possibly plan to live there forever?" "What are you talking about? Of course I live here," he said, belligerently as he stared around the gardens as if to fend off invisible marauders from taking his home.
"John, this is a wonderful home, and without doubt is the best in the block.
But it is not where you live," I said, softly.
He looked up at me inquisitively, and I reached forward and sank my outstretched finger into his soft belly.
I poked it hard a few times and said, "This is your home, John; this is the place where you live now, where you have lived all your life, and where you will spend the rest of your life.
" I paused to let my comments sink in, and then I continued.
"I won't ask you how much you have spent on this house and garden," I said, but I will ask you how much time, energy, and money have you spent on caring for your body, because that is where you live.
" He Learned Where He Lived John went pale, and his knees shook a little, so he toddled over to a bench seat snuggled among the flowerbeds.
He sat there slowly shaking his head and occasionally glancing up at me.
I sat alongside him.
"You're right," he said; his voice choking with emotion, "I have totally neglected myself for years, and I used to be so proud of my body.
Now look at it; I have become the fat man I used to laugh at when I was a kid!" "Well, it's not quite that bad," I said, in an attempt to calm him.
"Yes it is," he said, standing up and angrily waving his arms at his house and gardens.
"In fact it is a lot worse, because I have spent everything on this place and I have not given a thought to my body and my health.
I just live each day on the assumption at I shall live for ever; meanwhile my body is in worse shape than this house was when I moved in here two years ago.
" He Planned To Renovate His Real Home "Well, that's not a problem, John, because you are now very good at maintenance and repairs," I said with a soft chuckle.
John looked at me long and hard, and I though I had overstepped the mark.
He then burst into laughter, and come over and shook my hand.
"You're so right," he said with a broad smile.
He slapped his hands on his chest and stomach, and said, "This is where I live, and it is time to get it back into shape.
" He glanced at my towel and swimming costume, which was still tucked under my arm, and he said, "Wait there a moment, and I will get my togs and I shall start getting fit right now!" Do You Know Where You Live? We are all born with just one place to live, and despite modern advances in medicine with operations to replace worn and damaged organs, most of us have to make do with those we had at birth.
You can live longer and happier in your home, when you take great care of it, and use every opportunity to strengthen, repair, and maintain it each and every day.
Love your home, enjoy your home, and be proud of your home; after all, it is the only one you will ever have! © Copyright 2007.
Brian Hunt.
All Rights Reserved.
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