Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Money!

Now that I have gotten all your attention… let me go on with this thought …Is it truly the route of all evil?
And is it also NOT capable of buying love?
Perhaps, but most of us want it, need it and use it daily in some form from actual paper bills and metal change to credit or debit cards, checks, to electronic transfers, stocks, bonds etc, what-have-you, true?
Does it demand our respect?
Do some people seem to worship it?
Do those who do not have it mean that they are lesser people because of that?
Do the others who have too much of it think they are better than the others who have less? And how much is really too much?

A resounding… ‘I DON’T KNOW!’
To be realistic no one does, but many think they do.
More, more and more seems to be the ways most think about it while some of us actually know when enough is enough.

May I make a suggestion since the world has been in this economic mess that all of us should re-evaluate what’s really important to us when it comes to money and living within those means?

Sure our families are number one with most, our roof over our head and the ability to have gainful employment if we so desire, and no concern of paying our monthly bills.
Yep, we all need the bare necessities in life and some peace of mind, huh?

Our feelings about money develop at a very young age.
Some of us start working when we know that we want something to buy, as I did at the age of twelve since my mom and I had a disagreement on my clothes that I like to wear we had a critical preteen mom stalemate on style.
And so I started to baby-sit to earn the money to buy my own clothes at fifty cents an hour and a dollar after midnight, which I did and I even walked the distance to the mall to buy them at Lerner’s a great clothing store and very reasonable in the early 1960’s. I walked to that mall several miles, since my mom did not drive! I know I was only a twelve year old but it was sooo much safer in those days.
And besides determination is a wonderful motivator!
I did baby-sit until the age of sixteen when I was working Saturdays from the age of fifteen for my father at his bowling alley cocktail lounge in the snack bar for the kids’ league on Saturday mornings making or I should say burning hot dogs, burgers and French fries etc. By my senior year of high school I was working after school for Ohrbachs’s department store at the mall I used to walk to, but now we had moved further away and I had to take a bus and use some of my own monies for that, since I didn’t have a car but I had my license and was saving up for my car, by working.
Another girl was working there too and so eventually we carpooled since she had her own car and we split the gas.
By the spring I had saved enough to buy my first car a two year old 1966 Chevelle Malibu, a turquoise beauty in the year of 1968!
I worked all through college but moved up to Lord and Taylor’s and after becoming a floor manager I became a credit manager, thus my knowledge of money!

And so did Hubby too work from the time he was fourteen until just four years ago when he retired.

After Hubby and I married and had children and our own businesses we set up accounts for our boys for when they helped us in our businesses and paid them, and both sons were able to buy their own cars because of that before they turned fifteen!
And they learned the work ethic I hope from us, since both of them worked all through high school and college too! And to this day are gainfully employed and own, their own homes too in this difficult economy which makes us so proud with fingers crossed that all continues well for them forever!

So there is no denying money has its value but to each and everyone of us that value may remain elusive. It is so individualized and unique to each and everyone. I am so happy not that I was so sick and could not handle a larger home like we used to have four and five bedroom ones but that were able to scale down before everything went all screwy or as I like to say ‘cafluey’, another Tobi-ism! And that was way back in December, New Years Eve of 1998! And so we were OK when this all happened and I thank the almighty nightly for that; since we were able to manage much better on less.
Let’s face it we only have the basics but it is our enough, and when you find your enough I will be happy for you too!

That’s what money is I guess whatever one thinks is just right for them, huh?

On that realization and respect for another one of those differences in life that we all share…I will wish you all a very happy good night and to all ask you to also count those blessings and share those overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, OK?

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