Am I interrupting your busy day? Don’t worry, it’s intentional!

Seriously, it is. Life is short – so why waste it on stuff you don’t really want to do?

Yes, there are bills to be paid, and jobs to be done, but at the end of the day, if you are not spending enough time doing what you REALLY want to do, then what’s the point?

Go fishing. Smell roses. Play radios.

Imagine for a second that you don’t really have to work anymore, and that money is not an issue. How many antenna towers would you put in your back yard? How many radios would you buy? Would there be a limit to your ham gluttony? Where would you stop?

Last night, I had a chat with Stan, KE5EE. Before I go any further, let me just point out the obvious: Stan is the nicest guy you’ll ever find on ham radio bands. Polite, enthusiastic, always happy to share frequency with newcomers allowing them to work a rare DX, and probably the most patient ham on the air. Stan is also one of a handful of people on the planet who takes ham radio to the very extreme.

He lives on an acreage in Florida, and currently has 10 towers stacked with dozens of antennas. From a 4 square array for 160m, 80m yagi, 40m stacks to multiple phased beams for the rest of the ham bands. Stan is living the dream. Yours and my dream. And good on ya Stan.

So next time you agonise about spending a dollar or two on a new toy, remember KE5EE. I am not saying go crazy, go into debt or get a divorce. I am saying if you don’t spend it on what you enjoy today, once you’re gone, someone else will spend it on what they enjoy.