I have a connection with the beautiful Spanish island of
Menorca. Some years ago I quit my job
and together with my partner, Chrissie, headed off in an old VW campervan
towards Barcelona to catch a ferry to Menorca where we intended to try to earn
a living as artists. Once there we
rented a tiny house on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere and sent for
Chrissie’s 11 year old son to join us.
We struggled to make a living and were eventually invited to
take charge of a restaurant and bar. It seemed
less precarious but was very hard work.
It became a success but after a few years we worn out and decided to
move on, but Chrissie’s son was at studying at art college and chose to remain
there. He is now married and has two sons
and we have frequently wondered if we could ever afford to go back to Menorca
to live there once again.
On holiday last year, some friends offered us a small house
at a peppercorn rent. It was a home we
were familiar with as our son had lived there for several years with his former
partner. It was too good to refuse and
we began to plan our move from Somerset to the Mediterranean. It was not a decision we took lightly as
there were several important things to consider. I am now well into my 70’s and my wife is 70
this year. We have no private means,
just State Pensions. However, I provide
consultancy services to a company in Kent who were happy to continue to the
arrangement via the internet.
The cost of living in Menorca is moderately better with lower
rent, lower community taxes and less heating bills, so we would be a little
better off. However, once we had moved
everything lock, stock and barrel to the island, we began to reflect on wider
issues. At our age it is inevitable
that we will eventually need medical attention.
It is also very likely that we will live out our final years here and we
had been warned that the cost of cremation was very high – around 6,000
euros. With my little consultancy we
could afford to run a small car and even put some cash aside for an occasional
visit to the UK to see family, but if it ceased, our sole reliance on a UK
State Pension would not be sufficient.
We could never afford to move back and if one of us died, the other
would be marooned here. I would also
miss my Buddhist friends.
However, the Dharma encourages us to live in the present
moment. The past has gone and cannot be
changed and the future is unknown. All
we have is the here and now. When a
crisis arises we will somehow find a way to resolve it. That is not to say we
should be reckless and not take steps to put aside resources as best we can,
that is sensible. But it makes no sense
to fret about what may or may not happen.
We must enjoy our new life and live in the present moment; making new friends
and learning to speak Spanish. We have
been here just a few weeks and
have already met some people who are keen to
learn meditation and have asked if I would be interested in starting a small
group.
