Killing The Bees (Even Though You Hate To)

A quick essay on taking care of business

I was playing in the driveway with the younguns the other day, when my daughter pointed out a thriving yellow jacket hub in the roof of my neighbor’s garage. It’s a low point in the roof, and the point of interest is only about six feet up, roughly one foot from the edge of my driveway.

Normally, I wouldn’t suffer too much alarm at this, as I haven’t had any problems with yellow jackets in the past, and it’s far enough away from our doorway and where we often move around that I doubt anyone would get stung.

However, my son has had an allergic reaction to a yellow jacket sting, and it nearly cost him his life. That trip to the ER was the longest drive of my life.

That being said, those jacks had to go.

I hate killing bees or yellow jackets. I know they are just minding their own business, trying to get by like the rest of us. It just so happens they have enormous hypodermic needles filled with poison sticking out of their butts.

For the sake of preserving my offspring, I knew this nest had to be dealt with. Off I went to get the can of liquid electricity (no idea how that works, but it says it delivers something like a 10,000 volt shock).

The genocidal slaying had begun, and I was the tyrannical despot in charge. They didn’t stand a chance.

There is a strong correlation between the killing spree I begrudgingly initiated and all of the things we talk about in the FI (Financial Independence) community.

Doing things that have to be done in order to secure our future.

I wrote a recent article about just the opposite, in which I touted my monetarily foolish decision to keep 200 gallons of water at 104 degrees through a sub-zero New England winter. There must be balance, and here I’m rallying for the other side.

If you’re interested in being able to do more than sit in front of a TV in your golden years, you need to eat healthy foods and move your body as much as possible. Today. And tomorrow, and the day after that. Doesn’t much matter whether or not you want to, if you decide to be sedentary today you’ll be stuck to a lazy boy tomorrow.

If you’d like to approach major upcoming financial decisions from a position of strength, you had darn well better get to figuring out your money situation now. Put off saving and investing , and you’ll be a septuagenarian cow-towing to the 22-year-old supervisor of your evening shift at the big box hardware store before you know it.

Wrapping it Up (already)

This is going to be a short one, because the message is simple: do what you have to today so you can do what you want to tomorrow.

I’m not saying you should sacrifice all of the fun today in deference to a brighter future. Don’t forget to find time to enjoy life now, as now is the only guarantee.

Shit’s gotta get done, and ain’t nobody gonna do it for you. So get those ducks in a row, then go have some fun with your kids. I promise you’ll sleep sounder knowing you did what you had to do.