This is a quote from the famous actor - Judy Garland - who starred in the film, The Wizard of Oz; but in reality can we live without money, and can we live without love?

What would it be like to live without money?

Money gives you the security of somewhere to live, to eat and to drink, without which you wouldn’t survive - and yes, we know you can live off the land so to speak - however, the human race has evolved since caveman days.

You need clothes and personal items for grooming, otherwise you would be naked and dirty. You could bathe in a ditch/river, however, if you had no clothes on and were wandering around in your ‘birthday suit’, you'd be arrested for indecent exposure!

Transportation and the ability to travel anywhere you want, whether that be on a bicycle, in a car, on a boat, a plane or a train. Transportation gets you to work, enabling you to live your life and see the world.

Money can buy you knowledge or the ability to learn from computers, books, tv/media, not to mention enjoyment by entertaining you, keeping you occupied, busy, fit and healthy, and focused.

Communication and contact with others, especially through phones, emails and good old-fashioned letters. Can you imagine, standing on the street shouting out loud for friends to come and join you? That would cause chaos!

Without money it would be like returning to the caveman days, where you'd have to kill animals for food and skins to feed yourself and make your clothes. Chopping down trees to build your home and furniture. Foraging for food in the woods - but how do you know which leaves, berries and flowers etc would be poisonous? Without good old Google or access to reference books - you’d be totally lost - or worse - dead! Or the alternative would be turning to a life of crime, to fund your lifestyle...

What would it be like to live without love?

Lonely! But not just love from a partner, but from friends and family.

Love from family and friends creates a sense of belonging, with strength in numbers, a special connection, interaction, closeness and bonding.

Then there’s being in love. That giddy feeling of falling head over heels in love. It’s intoxicating, it’s addictive and it’s all-consuming. The romance, that special bond, the passion, the intimacy, the emotional connection, locked in your own little world.

But loving someone takes work - relationships require regular care and attention. It’s not all about you, there’s someone else you have to think about. It’s not me - it’s we! And if you are selfish or are unable to compromise, then ultimately your relationship is likely to fail and love will founder.

There are people who don’t seek love. They want to be free emotionally and don’t want to co-exist in a couple, a throuple or any kind of group. They are content being who they are and live exactly how they want, and pretty much unanswerable and independent of anyone. They quite simply want to be alone, which is not to be confused with lonely...

So having played devil’s advocate with Judy’s quote “I can live without money, but I cannot live without love.” What is my answer?

Yes, you can live without money and yes, you can live without love, but that’s not a life I would choose for myself. I don’t just want to function and exist, doing my own thing in order to survive. I want to live life to the full and grab everything that’s on offer.

Life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, thrills and spills, excitement and fear, and I want to be onboard for the whole ride and will happily pay the admission fee!

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