I made a new acquaintance, named Roy. Actually, it’s spelled Roi. And Roi is changing the way I spend my life. Literally.
I learned about Roi at a meeting my husband and I attended to figure out what we’re going to do with ourselves when we retire. That makes it sound like we’re researching rest homes and distributing heirlooms — a misconception spawned by today’s youth-obsessed society that makes us mentally reserve the “R” word for old guys who wear knee socks with their shorts, golf down south, and go to bed at 8 (which, when you think about it, has some definite advantages), or old women who spend all their time and money on grandkids, (which, when you think about it, has some definite advantages).
Anyway, as much as my husband and I would love to spend the rest of our lives employed (NOT), we’re trying to learn now, while we’re still young…ish…, how to make our money last longer than we do. We looked in the newspaper, researched online, and asked friends. Eventually we wound up talking with “financial experts” who offer a dizzying, creative array of ways to take our money from us and invest it for Roi, which stands for “Return On Investment.” Apparently the more Roi you get, the more golf rounds you get to play at the other end of your life.
After the first hour of a financial expert’s number-filled, spreadsheet-and-percentages presentation, my word-based mind starts to numbly wander. And here’s the epiphany that recently hit me during an explanation of how “indexing” can put me on cruise ships for the rest of my life: Everything we do in our lives has a Roi.
Think about it. Invest deeply in your marriage and you get a friend for life. Maybe longer.
Invest your heart and soul in raising a family and your return is a group of adults who some day come back to thank you. An added bonus to that investment is grandkids who not only immortalize you, but give you brief moments of pleasure watching their parents deal with the challenges they once caused you.
Invest a plate of cookies in the neighbors and you get new friends.
Invest some time helping your kids with their homework and your return is seeing them grow into capable, contributing adults who most likely won’t return in a decade or so with a spouse and children to live with you.
Invest the time and effort in raising a garden and you get good stuff to eat.
Invest some time volunteering at your local grade school and the children have a better education experience.
Invest yourself at work and you get to keep the job.
Here’s a caution, though: Rois can work against you too. Go to bed late and you drag through the next day. Fight with your spouse and someone’s Roi is a trip to the dog house. Give your kids everything they want and you end up with entitled freeloaders. Invest your time in meaningless pursuits and your return is meaningless memories.
Financial experts are also quick to tell you there are no guarantees when you work for Roi. They tell you that even if all the planets are lined up when you invest, “extenuating circumstances” might just rip your investment away and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it — or blame on them.
That is true of lifetime Rois as well, especially relationship ones. There are no guarantees for returns on the investments we make of ourselves. But relationship investments have the potential for the greatest Rois. Guaranteed.
You can bet money on that.
You may contact Louise Brown at maven_55@yahoo.com or by calling her editor at 801-625-4223.
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