Let’s say that you have two children and give them a weekly allowance of $10. It started at 5 years old, and they are both now 18 years old. Child A, took that money and bought a toy, treat, downloaded a song, or whatever. Child B, put the money into a piggy bank and now has almost $7000 saved up. Which child did better? BTW, I identify as the Child A!
Child A has contributed to landfills, but also to a childhood of memories. Playing games with friends, experiencing things with that $10 in a way that gave them happiness in the moment. Child B, had experiences, but mainly reliant on what other provisions the parent provided, which no doubt Child A was also given the same opportunity. However, now has money to something on a grander scale if so desired.
I am still Child A. I have a small savings, life insurance, and whatever else but I do spend when I want something without thought. Often, I question why I bought it and if it was really worth it. Sometimes, I even resell things on Ebay to remove the clutter in the house. I adopted a way of thinking that I believe comes from so much loss. We die alone and nothing can be taken with us, so why not enjoy things now? My bank account hates it, but whatever. I do think that my great nieces and nephews will hate me when they have to sort through it all and figure out what to do with it while sorting my estate. Maybe some items will bring them joy, or a sense of who I was beyond the great-uncle that always wanted to be there for them. I digress….
The memories! When I got out of the Marines, I drank, a lot! I wanted to forget the military and even more, I wanted to forget who I was. Did I want to reinvent myself? Maybe. I did seek out jobs that were considered “white collar”. I went into banking and management where I wore suits and ties to give myself the look of a better class person. Meanwhile, I still drank frequently, but not to just show I had the means, but continue to bury my past.
Sadly, I was successful, so much so that I have difficulty recalling my childhood, teens, military, and much of my life is a blur of drunken bliss. When I talk to lifetime friends and they bring up “do you remember when….” I stand there with a blank look on my face. I regret not appreciating my life for the lessons learned. I missed out on living because I was too focused on erasing for so many years. I guess that is why I need to remind myself so often to remain in the present because there are a lot of skeletons in my past that I never know when they will show up and cause me to spiral.
Teach your children to put half of that allowance in the piggy bank and enjoy the other half with something to enjoy. Even if it’s a candy bar! The future is never promised, but it’s a good idea to prepare for it. The present is where you will enjoy life at its fullest! Create the memories and whether good or bad, don’t lose them, just learn to appreciate them for what they are…life lessons!
Minding my mind 