The Contentment Thief

After leaving my unionized government job, I was anxious, I admit.

I had some income to make up.
Maintain our two-income lifestyle and the children's activities.

But...I didn't.
Business never took off.  I didn't have the "drive", the "why"
or some other crucial personality trait.

Plus, I just couldn't get excited about the incentive/reward "stuff."
I was happy with the stuff we have.  (And, I'm one of those
always-culling-the-herd types).

We cut back...cut back again...got some help...got more help...

...and something strange began to happen.

I began to believe we would be ok.
Even if Plan A (or B, or C, or...)
never came to fruition.

That said, I HATED (and still do) hearing
how my goals are too small, how I don't want
success "enough", how I'm not worth someone's time
because I don't share their goals:

I didn't want the fancy car.
I don't want the fancy trips...or the jewelry.
I don't want syncophants (spellchecker doesn't know that word either)

Most of all,
I don't want desire for recognition (by whom?)
to steal my contentment.

That's tough, because the Contentment Thief
is literally everywhere.
When the Contentment Thief speaks,
it sounds exactly like people I know:

"Who's running for XXX this month?"
"Will you be on the leader-board?"
"I wanna give a shout out to our amazing leader!"

I'm actually not sure what the
Contentment Thief's M.O. is.

After all, my contentment isn't any good to anyone else.
It wouldn't fit them.
Everyone has their own contentment.

The best defense I've found so far, against the Contentment Thief?
A simple..."Meh."

It makes the Contentment Thief crazy
(as far as I can tell),
but it works like a charm.

Back to my writing....