Put The Cart In Front of the Horse

Put The Cart In Front of the House

John Paul Derryberry

I retired once from the workforce at the ripe old age of 23. I don't mean I took an extended break from working and lived off my vast savings and I'm not using some cute metaphor to cover up a layoff, that's a story for another day (once I was out of work for three whole hours). How did I call it quits at age 23? During college, I worked for the public schools supervising a before and after school program, where part of my paycheck went to IPERS. I finished college, and the thought of a full-time job scared me. So, I retired by cashing in the IPERS. Even after I paid the taxes on it, it was enough money for me not to work for the summer.

I cashed in my retirement at 23 and chilled for three and a half months with friends, met new people, traveled a little, and relocated to a new town. Everyone asked me what I was doing that summer. I kept informing everyone I was retired, taking some me time to figure stuff out. They chuckled and asked what I was really up to, and I insisted I was retired. It was a short-sided choice, probably a little immature, and not the soundest financial decision I've made. I did eventually find my first adult job by the fall in case you were wondering.

Yet, I would do it all over again if granted some do-over button. We always hear the phrase, "Don't put the cart before the horse," and it's sound practical advice. When the horse pulls the cart, life goes a little more smoothly. Unfortunately, sometimes a smooth experience tends to have us feeling like something is missing. Sound and rational decision making has never lead to anywhere profound. Like being able to tell people you retired from working at age 23, or how you were on a pirate ship sailing off the coast of Australia, or about that time you stayed up all night talking with a new friend and watched the sunrise over some ocean or about how your purchased that lake cabin.

We are the collection of our experiences and the stories we tell people, our lives defined by choices and opportunities taken and untaken. Yes, it's sound advice to have the horse in front of the cart. Heck, we started 529 college saving plans for our girls yesterday, sound and rational horse in the front of caring decision making. I follow that ethos way more often than I used too; your love for your children will do that to you. In all honesty, it's best to follow this advice 99 times out of 100, or you'll likely get burned.

But from time to time in life, put the cart in front of the horse and see what happens. It's the unshackling of ourselves from expectations others have planted on us, or we planted on ourselves, where the magical emotional swelling of life occurs. The unpredictable parts of my life have always been the stories I lead with at parties and social events. Come to think of it; it's the part of my life that has assisted most in landing promotions and dream jobs. Take it from me, a guy who quit the rat race at age 23 only to re-enter when I realized my professional story was not over yet. Maybe the truth is I ran out of money, I'll never tell.

Take it from the history of the human race. No one, not a soul, has ever muttered the words, "I wish I traveled less, wish I had laughed less, wish I had less adventure, and or wish I spent more time doing mundane tasks." So yes, prepare for the future, save and sack money away for retirement, but don't ever stop forgetting to give the horse a break and attempt to steer and push the cart your damn self. You may have no idea where it will end up, but it will make for one hell of a story when it does.