Living Well.

I am in a research class this semester and we are researching how "Emerging Adults" envision themselves when they are "Living Well" and comparing it to other data they give us. The main questions are: When you are "living well" how do you see (1) yourself (2) your house (3) your car (4) your activities? This survey is probably skewed because although we tried to get as much diversity as we possibly could...we live in Utah...home of the white Mormons. I thought that we would get tons of responses about church and family, but I was really surprised by the amount of straight out materialistic answers we got. These are some of my favorites:

Single Male
1. I look good! My wife looks good and my kids look good! Im filthy rich with more money and free time Than I know what to do with

2. huge! and nice. Always active with all of the maids and butlers

3. Fast, luxurious, looks hot! 4. Vacationing all the time while exploring new activities and spending time with my family, I will enjoy my job.

Engaged Female

1. I see myself a having moderately expensive clothes that bring out my personallity and have a good color on me. I don’t need to spend hours a work since my husband has a high paying job, but I work a few hours to keep creativity going and to get out of the house and meet new people. 2. I live in a two story house with three bathrooms and five bedrooms. One room is dedicated to an office, the others are bedrooms. Each room is furnished modestly and art lines the walls. There are two shandlier features that hang over the kitchen table. All of our appliances-dishwasher, washer, dryer operate well and consolidate electricity.

3 and 4 weren't very exciting so I will skip them for your sake. I love how specific the last girl was with her house. These aren't bad things to want, but there is no mention of family, her husband (except that he has a high-paying job)...it is all material. Hmmm....And then we got these survey's which show the complete flip side and just make me smile and happy and giddy inside when I read them.

Single Male

1. Happy with life and enjoying the time with my family 2. Average home, not too big or fancy. Just enough to not feel crowded. 3. Average used car in good condition. Well maintained. Sedan. Not fancy or powerful or faster just a nice car to get back and forth to work. 4. Other than loving my job as a pilot, I will spend time with my family and be on a bowling league.

Single Male

1. I see myself living well with the true things that matter, my family, we may not have the big boats, or the fancy things, but we will be close nit and supportive of one another. Obviously I being the husband and father would provide for there needs, shelter, food, and teaching, working with my wife to ensure that our children know all that they need to, so they may “live well” also. 2. My home will be big enough to live comfortably without drawing attention to itself. A nice simple home where you feel safe and secure, where people can enjoy themselves would be just fine for me. 3. It may not be beautiful but it’s reliable, a car that will get me to and from point to point. 4. Some of my favorite memories have been with my family weather it was vacation, traditions, or just playing in the back yard. We had fun together, it wasn’t always prefect and we definitely weren’t. I hope some of the same qualities that I grew up with will be present in my own family. That we make the time that we have together count.

The differences in the cases are astronomical. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting and having nice things in life, but I think the big difference in the first 2 and last 2 are the priorities they have. The last 2 guys really seem to know what is important in life. I don't know who these guys are, but my heart sort of melts when I read their answers. I wish I had taken the survey to see what I would have written. I would be interested in knowing if I would be categorized in the 1st or 2nd group....This probably sounds really dumb, but I think it has made me look and see what is important to me in my life....material things....or relationships? hmmm.

Lastly, this one is my favorite. Please read the entire thing. I guarantee you will quizzically crack up at the very end.

Single BYU Female

1. I am married and have a family. Also that I am happy and living righteously, being close with God and my family.

2. A place where you can find peace, clean, not huge but big enough to fit my family comfortably

3. A mini van

4. Raising my kids, going to kids soccer games, doing the dirty with my husband, and Church Activites.