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The latest government crisis has certainly brought into focus the disparity between the moneyed elite and the so-called middle class bureaucratic workers who help run the day to day of our country. How many Senators would work without pay?
Did you guess how close to edge the “average” middle of road family runs their show? The economics of paying bills, feeding children, providing medicine and even filling the car with gas turned out for many workers to be a fragile balance pivoted on their pay checks. The assumptions of “rich” politicians that, of course, everybody has plenty of financial back up with the resources to cover their daily expenses made their comments callous and disturbing. Missing a few weeks of income…that can’t be much of problem. Surprise, it turns out many of the common folk don’t have access to family money, cheap loans, off shore bank accounts … or even any saved money. A smaller and smaller group owns the “good life”.
All this made me think about my own finances. Now it is true that I do have resources, some cash, income (with its interesting ups and downs) and some non liquid assets.
I can wait out the skimpy winter months in my Gallery with the promise of happy tourist dollars in July. However, what if…. and more likely …yes I will eventually need a new car and the house (I am so attached too) will need serious attention. Those are huge expenses that I can put off for a few years, but not forever.
What if I become ill, feeble or lose my brights?
There is no unexpected inheritance (I have out lived most of my relatives) in my future. Will I win the Lottery? Marry a Billionaire? Sell all my sculptures …at full price?
I feel the pain of bewildered people who expected the comfort and safety that all their hard work entitled them to, but the house of caring is gradually being dismantled by the greedy few.
As for myself at some point (down the road around the corner), I will need to downsize or reshape my finances to make my life as I age (who me) work in an increasingly tough world.
The road is rockier than I expected.
Wishing everyone the wisdom and the luck to negotiate the “new” America.