An assessment of my mind

American founding father Thomas Jefferson once said, "Never spend your money before you have earned it." It seems as if every single American today could learn one big lesson from Thomas. Save your money. Its time that someone took this idea to heart. For years Americans have spent money that was not theirs to spend; in fact, our entire country is in trillions of dollars of debt because we spent money that we did not earn. This particular post is not going to be a rant on why we need to change, but rather, a memory of times when we had money to spend, and how sometimes spending that money is not the best thing to do.

From the new millennium to the mid 1980’s to the millennium, my family was particularly blessed financially. My father was the owner of a successful Chrysler dealership in a small town. In a matter of 10 years, from 1995 to 2005, we were able to travel to Florida and Hawaii. We purchased a hot tub, a baby grand piano, and a reasonably fast boat. Christmas was filled with a large amount of presents, and lavish gifts.

However, after the beginning of the recession, the car sector was one of the first to be hit, and the dealership was forced to close. And so, we were thrust into some hard times. No more company sponsored trips, no more lavish Christmases, and no more boating trips. But I believe that all of this has made my entire family and I better people. We realized that the love of our family is more important than any other thing that could distract us from that love.

It is odd, sometimes, to assess your life in good times in contrast to bad and realize what is different. I have found that yes, money can create enjoyable situations and carefree times, but it isn’t until that enjoyment is taken away that you realize that you don’t need those luxuries to be happy. Some of my most fond memories are those where I’m hanging out with friends, or just chilling with family. True happiness is just made by interaction.

However, money, in an American culture, is important today. It does help accomplish goals and make futures. So, in my own opinion, it is important to keep your decisions thrifty. Knowing when and what to buy is one life lesson that will keep bad times of your life to a minimum. So I challenge you America, think about your purchases before you buy. Should you save that money for something in the future, or do you really need that new exercise equipment on T.V.? Be smart, and keep your buying power reserved for the things that really matter: your family and friends.

Let's Change

America is in need of some drastic changes. Throughout the history of the world as we know it the Earth has been littered with great Civilizations that have become fat and lazy and fell by the wayside. Egypt, Rome, and France to name just a few. In Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth," Pearl follows the life of Wang Lung, a Chinese farmer who gains a great deal of wealth which eventually brings about his downfall. The same idea is happening in America today. We have the idea instilled to us from birth that we are the best. We are stronger, smarter, and better than every other nation in the world, and this is where the problem starts. Think about it, once you get to be the best you tend to take advantage of your "greatness." We gloat, we buy expensive luxuries and we pamper ourselves however we see fit. Americans have the "Wang Lung syndrome" and if we can realize that, we may be able to reverse the effects. We all need to make an effort to work again. We need to stop procrastinating and find a way to keep our country one of "the best." If we can accomplish  this, maybe, just maybe we won't fall by the wayside like so many before us.