Money!

I've never had much of it. I guess that's a pretty common belief, since everyone always wants more. But I like it. I've learned to embrace it. Some parts of it really suck, hell I've never had cable tv ever. But it also has definite advantages. I work for what I have, so I don't buy things that don't mean something to me, and I keep those things in good working order. Case in point, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (by Robert Pirsig). This is an amazing book. While it has nothing to do with money at all, in embodies two of the most important things I've learned from being poor: mechanical aptitude, and critical thinking. Fixing things by necessity teaches you more about them than you could ever imagine knowing. It's very difficult to explain this phenomon, so go outside and take apart you bike, down to the frame, put it back together, make it work, and then try to tell me you didn't learn anything. Understanding mechanics gives you a great appreciation for the unseen workings of seemingly simple designs, and I don't think you have to be Freud to see how that applies to many, many different areas. The other thing that I have grown to appreciate is thinking for thinking's sake. I don't have much, so isn't it natural to question how I got what I have? Now I don't mean physical objects, but connections, opportunities, talents. Why did I get this? Pity? Did I actually deserve this? Am I the person who could make the best use of this? Now that I have it, aren't I obliged to use it to its fullest potential? I think about those things all the time! It gets tiring. But, if I need to really think about something, I know how I think. I know how to process things, I know what makes sense to me and what doesn't. While I am still constantly questioning myself and everything around me, I also feel like I know myself in a way that is very unusual, at least in this day and age. So, stop for a minute, and think. Really think. And if you manage not to drive yourself crazy, I think you'll be pleased with what you find.