Money

Money is on my mind today.

"Money makes the world go-round"
"The love of money is the root of all evil"
"Money isn't everything"
"Money can't buy you love"

True? Some of it is true? One's perspective on money all depends on the shoes you're wearing. In my younger, more idealistic days I would have railed against the first quote. Wearing these older shoes I must sadly admit that is does indeed "make the world go-round". Nothing is possible without money, or access to money. Even for those attempting to live completely off the grid it takes money to get set up initially. Living off the grid still requires owning land and paying taxes eternally.

The root of all evil - This particular quote has to be one of the most misquoted quotes of all time. It's the love of money reputed to be the root of all evil. Most people misquote it as "money is..." Irregardless of the original quote itself is money the root of all evil? In days gone by when people bartered goods and entire communities banded together to help a neighbor in need money didn't hold the place of high honor it holds today. Money wasn't a priority. A person's skills and character were priorities. Perhaps, money truly is the root of all evil...

I've found through the years most people who say money isn't everything are in a position to not have to struggle through day to day life. They don't have to decide whether to pay the electric bill or buy groceries. They don't have to drive to work anxiously watching the gas gauge and hoping the gas in the car will make it until payday. No, money certainly isn't everything but when you don't have enough of it to make ends meet it can feel like it is the only thing that really matters.

What can money buy? True love can't be bought. However, relationships in which a true love does exist between two people are complicated and sometimes ended over financial difficulties. Relationships in which one party has much more financial security than the other can end when the financially secure partner becomes suspicious the other is only with them because of money. Money has bought the illusion of love for many people when someone is with another only because of money.

Love can't be purchased with money but money nevertheless has an effect on love.

Money, money, money...

Working for it

I'm a big fan of Hazelden. I visit the website daily for the "Thought for the Day". How cool is it that today's Thought from the book Today's Gift, is right on time for yesterday's post.

"We often want things immediately. We want to play the piano, but only if we can learn it fast. We want others to love us right away, or we'll give up on them. If something we're doing doesn't go just so right from the start, we give up.

But the permanent things in life take time to develop. If we want our relationships, our skills, our accomplishments, to resist the storms we all encounter, we must allow time for them to grow and deepen within us, and marvel, in the meantime, at how much we can learn from the world around us."

Do you have patience today? Are you willing to work for what you want, or do you just give up if it doesn't happen on your timetable?

Damaged goods

I've been a bear cub for a few years now with various descriptive adjectives added as circumstances demanded. There is nothing quite like the love, protection and training a Momma Bear gives her cubs. My interaction with Momma Bear brought me here. The cub is now beginning to venture. Join me as we look out the Cub's window.

Damaged goods is what I see today. Human beings tortured, abandoned, starving, drugged, beaten, neglected. But is the world really so much worse now than it was decades or centuries ago? Or could it be the globalization of the modern world is allowing us to see so much more? We can instantly peer in so many different windows in so many different places. It's the ugly things that people seem fascinated by. Just like the carnival sideshows of days gone by. People would pay money to see the Bearded Lady, the Elephant Man and so on.

The skeletons in the closets were always there, also. People used to just try harder to keep things hidden. Could you imagine Great-Aunt Matilda going on the Jerry Springer show to admit Uncle Fred had been boinking the housekeeper? But it happened just the same. What's different now? People don't think twice about airing their dirty laundry. So many people would rather be voyeurs and watch the lives of others than work on their own.

We're taught self-care, independence, self-reliance (and those are the good traits!) Each generation seems to be taught less about respect, kindness, honesty and responsibility. Too many people just give up today. Instead of a second effort they just move on. Instead of building a stronger house they moved to a different one. Instead of working on building a stronger relationship with a spouse the majority just leave one relationship to start another one. Or start another and then leave the first. Far too many people are leaving behind trails. Trails of broken relationships, broken hearts and broken homes.