Someday Never Came

In his thirties, when colleagues upgraded their homes, Elias resisted. In his forties,

when his family wanted to renovate the kitchen, he said the same thing he always

said: “Not yet. We need to be safe.” Safety became his religion.

He wasn’t unhappy—at least, that’s what he told himself. Happiness was something

for later. Enjoyment was postponed. Life was something you prepared for, not something you

lived. And then, finally, later arrived. At sixty-five,

Elias retired. His net worth stood at $2.5 million. He had done everything right.

He had followed the rules. He had played the game perfectly. He had won.