Twenty Eighth thing: Learning new things makes me happy.

This was not always so.  I didn’t particularly like school. That isn’t completely true.  I liked certain topics – English, Drama, Speech, Literature, Art, Oceanography, Psychology interested me.  Math and science – the worst. But I think that’s true of most people, we excel at what excites and intrigues us, wanting to learn more.

What inspired me to choose learning new things as my twenty eighth entry in this series of what makes me happy has to do with life lessons, finding out the extent of what you don’t know and learning from those experiences.

I have been talking about buying a new bed – for years.  It was a priority when I retired (over a year ago) but I was filled with trepidation over obstacles, certain that the process would be difficult and stressful. I remember buying my last bed when I was forty, thinking “this will be the last bed I’ll have to buy”.  Longevity runs in my family so I’m not sure why this thought stuck in my mind.  Just because I’d purchased a top of the line bed what expectation did I have for how long beds last?

I moved here 30 years ago and my queen size box spring was nightmarish to shove onto the landing, scraping the ceiling before turning the tight corner and getting it up the stairs. When I bought my current bed almost twenty years ago, I moved my other bed to the guest room rather than have to contend with getting it back down the stairs of our two story home. And it was not an easy delivery the second time.  (I recall grunting and scraping sounds.)

But I digress. My biggest obstacle: I was certain I’d have to cajole, bribe or withhold my purchase if I couldn’t get the salesperson’s agreement to move my old bed down the stairs and cart it away. I just knew I’d be told that was my responsibility. As a result, I procrastinated yet still complained about my too soft bed.

Well, I was wrong –  and I’m admitting it.

Not only was delivery free, the old bed would be removed at no charge and carted away. All products in this store are made in the USA (this is important to me).  0% financing for 50 months means I can leave my savings account untapped.  I even learned to my delight that an adjustable bed is not just available from a certain manufacturer but rather is what you buy with any mattress – in place of a box spring and standard frame.  It will attach to my oak headboard which I love. In addition to raising either my head or feet it has other features including MASSAGE.

Yup.  Did not see that coming!

In two hours from the time I entered the store till the completion of the sale, I’d learned how much I didn’t know. (It was substantial). After years of serious sleep issues, two bad shoulders, lower back pain and the like, I’m kicking myself over not having done this sooner.

But as Jules, my yoga guru said “you weren’t ready yet”.  Namaste.

Anytime now the delivery van will arrive, cart away the old bed (buh-bye) and bring my new bed.

And considering I’m only fifty nine, I’m hopeful this isn’t the last bed I’ll ever buy. But next time, I won’t let the amount of things I don’t know impede me. Instead I’ll look forward to learning something new.