A rosy glimpse into the future

I've long had a private pension - a couple in fact. I've never paid much attention to them, knowing they are there somewhere but also knowing I can't get my hands on it for many years. So it was quite interesting to find that I could take a look at it online, and I was pleasantly surprised. I now know that we'll be OK when I'm 55. We can do a cruise or buy a new car - maybe a couple if we're lucky. I know that we'll be secure, and that's a good feeling. The problem is of course the here and now - not some rosy future, as my wife brought me firmly down to  earth... She's right of course. The fact is that we're bloody lucky. The company I had given so many years to had paid in to a private stakeholder pension, and they paid well. I can't see that ever being repeated... things have changed.
The weather here today is fantastic. It's amazing the difference a little sun can make. Those who claim that sunshine or lack of it can affect mood, they are right - absolutely right. I know as I've had first hand experience. It's nice to be able to open the doors and windows for a change. We're lucky to live in quite a remote area, so we have little traffic and the only real noise is from the jets on the nearby bombing range. Living in remote locations can sometimes have its drawbacks. The RAF like to play with their toys of war, but it's something we've grown used to. Having lived in London (well just south) for many years from birth, this is a world away from the traffic, the rushing about and the constant noise I was used to. Here, the silence is strangely deafening, you can see the stars - millions of them. The night sky isn't polluted by orange street lights and criss-crossed by holiday jets. It's not paradise, but I like it - it's home.