Sex and money – what do they have in common? They’re the last two topics we don’t talk openly about in America. Or, at least most of us are taught that money is something to keep quiet about.
I remember back in elementary school when I was asked to fill out a questionnaire about family income. “How much does your father earn (back before women’s lib)? I remember having absolutely no clue. Was it $200? $2,000? $20,000? If we ever talked about this at the dinner table, I must have been daydreaming!
But, by then I had already picked up some hints about our money situation. Dad was a car dealer, so we always had new cars – that must mean we had money, right? But, our favorite car could be gone in a minute if someone wanted to buy it. Must mean we needed money – we loved that car and now it was gone!
And, I continued this legacy when I raised my kids. I remember my son Kilian asking to go to McDonald’s for lunch. I explained that we really didn’t have the money for us to go today – we needed to watch our dollars. Later that day at the grocery store, he turned to me with tears in his eyes – “Do we have enough money for apples?”
So, not talking about money leaves us in confusion. How much is enough? How much do we deserve? Why is money always lacking? What’s it all about, Alfie?
What do you think? Tell me about your first experience with money. What do you remember? Is this experience still reflected in your finances today? I know it is for me – one day I can’t afford new jeans on sale – and the next day I buy a new car! What’s that about?
Back home in Maine – “The Way Life Should Be.” Really?
