Daily Prompt: About Page of the Future

 Write the About page for your blog in 10 years.

Ten years ago I had resigned to the fact that life would simply continue to trickle away. Going to work, walking the dog, fixing dinner, tending the garden, getting older, looking forward to retirement.

Oh, but  life is full of surprises  and it is impossible to foresee the future. Not long after I started my first blog I came across a small announcement in the paper: “Looking for challenges? We are looking for test people willing to participate in a  psychological research program. For more information ring ….”

Always being interested in psychology I rung the number. The man on the phone told me in few words that a group of researchers from a well-known university were looking for test persons willing to meet one personal challenge  a week. I decided to join that experiment and  filled out an endless seeming questionnaire about my fears, hopes, dreams, likes and dislikes.

The experiments started easy enough. The first week I was asked to eat Leberwurst and drink camomile tea, both things I hate up to this day.  The second week I should take a midnight walk through the park and the third week I was to ask my boss for a pay raise, which I got. As the weekly challenges became more demanding, I started to change. I became more confronting and aggressive and less willing to put up with any kind of nonsense. As a result I earned even more money and when my boss retired I took over the company. The new job involved lot’s of travelling and I met interesting people and saw fantastic cities and landscapes. Finally I was leading the kind of life I had always dreamed of!

But was I enjoying it? Yes, I was. Did I miss being at home, in North Germany? No, I didn’t. Did I miss seeing my partner and my children? I did, but I came home at least once every three months. Did it hurt, when I found out my partner had a lover? Yes, but quite honestly, I didn’t think it was a serious threat to our relationship. Was I sorry I missed the baptism of my first grandchild? Yes, I was, a little bit, but I saw the videos and spoke to my son and daughter in law on the phone. I was busy, I was successful and I loved every minute of it.  The years were passing at an incredible speed and I thanked the psychologists for helping me finally lead the life I had always dreamt of.

During a conference in Monte Carlo I visited the casino and won almost 1. 000 000 Euros. Now I was rich on top of everything else. I decided to take a holiday and spend a my 65th birthday at home.

The house was dark when I arrived and nobody greeted me.  I was a bit irritated  that my partner was not there to greet me. He came home the next morning to tell  me that he didn’t want to be with me any more. He was going to marry Claudia, his new lover. I must admit, I was a bit shocked at that and surprised that my place should be taken by such  an inconspicuous woman who liked gardening.

Feeling a bit lonely in the now empty house I decided to visit my son in Köln and get to know my granddaughter. When my granddaughter saw me she started crying,  hiding away behind her mother. I was a stranger to her. Conversation with my son and his wife was awkward, there was a lot to catch up on, but somehow we couldn’t find any familiarity. I was shocked to see that he had lost most of his hair. Feeling sad and a bit lonely I left them earlier than I had meant to.

Next I visited my best friend, Lydia. She was happy enough to see me and I invited her to the best restaurant in town. I felt glad to be with a friend, but when I asked her whether we could meet again the next day she said no. She told me in clear words that though she still liked me she did not feel we were friends any more. I had not been there when she was sick and needed me. She had found new friends, who really cared about her.

That night I could hardly sleep and after getting up early I went to work and put in my resignation. Now somebody else is  traveling and running our international projects.

I am rich. I have seen the world. I know people all around the globus and enjoy being in touch with them. I still love travelling. There are many things I could write about.

However, life needs to be balanced, and as I need challenges and inspiration, I also need a place where I can be safe and secure, where I can love and be loved. Therefore this blog is about  family and friends, gardening and cooking, reading books and taking trips and building up a happy life. I am just beginning to learn how to be a friend and a grandmother and hopefully, sooner or later, a partner in a relationship.

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