Okay, so I really can’t take credit for the kids feeling so good about themselves these days… but, I like to think I have had a small part in teaching them a few bits of wisdom that have come with age.
All the kids have been watching the economic crisis, some more than others of course. But, those in high school seem to have a real interest in what is going on in the world. It helps that they are studying economics I suppose. However, what is most important is that they seem to have a real grasp of the situation as it applies to them and to our community.
This evening, as is now usual on a Monday night, the kids piled into the cabin out back to watch The Big Bang Theory… or as they call it “Bang”. Our little group seems to love that program. Many of the older folks have been involved in physics and the sciences professionally. We aren’t a bunch of geeks or anything, but whether we approached the theory of quantum physics from a very scientific sense or from a more “ethereal” prospective, we all know a little about quantum physics. For that reason, the kids like to hang out together with the old AARP-ers when “Bang” is on. As they say, “We get it.” And, I think we do get the jokes.
Anyway, after “Bang” the kids started asking questions about the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that didn’t pass the House today. There had been talk about in their school classes today. It was so very interesting to listen to them talk and make plans. It’s amazing how a little scare once in a while can redirect the way kids look at problems. That applies to the rest of us, too.
One of the kids asked about credit cards. Most of us older folks don’t use credit cards. With many of us in our mid to late fifties… and beyond, we have mostly experienced the downside of credit cards. So, most of us have a credit card or two, but we keep them for emergencies only. I really don’t know why we have them set aside for emergencies since none of us have ever used one for an emergency… but, we still have them. Instead, most of us use our debit cards. We have evolved beyond holding up the line in the market by writing a check. And, most of us do online banking so we can keep up with our balances really easily.
Another asked about mortgages. Well, what can I say. I suppose we have all had a mortgage at some point in time. But, for the most part, we made substantial down payments and paid off our homes in no more than 15 years. It wasn’t the easiest of times when we were buying our houses, but we mostly looked at our homes as the place we would stay for a while, so we worked to pay for them and get rid of the mortgages. Even when we moved from one place to another several years back, we weren’t held up by having two mortgages. While one house was on the market, we were able to purchase our new “old” house and move with only one mortgage payment. When the first house was sold, we put all the equity into our new “old” house and got it paid off ASAP.
The kids somehow had the idea that we all had lots of money. Not true. Most of us in the neighborhood have similar thinking. We weren’t trying to keep up with one another or get ahead of our neighbors. So, we have all pretty much lived within our means. But, we have also worked hard to be thrifty when possible.
We don’t do without, per se. But, we don’t buy everything we see at the store. And, we do shop wisely when possible. For example, the neighborhood ladies usually go together once every month or two and shop at a grocery store that offers specials on case purchases. So, we pool our money and buy a case of ketchup and a case of mustard, a couple of cases of toilet tissue and so on. There are a couple of days each week when the local grocery store marks down its meat products. We all go to the market at the appropriate hour and buy enough to last a month or so, then come home and freeze our purchases. On average we save about one-third on our shopping expenses.
Of course, many of us have gardens or greenhouses… or go to Happy’s for vegetables. So, we have turned gardening into a neighborhood get together. We have made it fun, a social event with each doing what he or she does best.
And, we share our time and skills. It’s kind of an unspoken barter system. My husband, who is a CPA and an attorney, although he doesn’t practice either any more for the rest of the world, does the neighbor’s taxes. So, when we need to have a few repairs done we don’t mind asking for a little help. It works out just fine and saves us a lot of money.
Anyway, it seems that the kids have observed us in action. They have realized that we seem to have so much because we share and we work together. And, we most often have plenty to share with others. We work on a theory of never take more than you can use. For example, when the blueberries came in this year, each of us picked enough to enjoy during the season and froze just enough to get us through to the next harvest. Some of us like blueberries more than strawberries, some prefer the strawberries. Over time we have figured out just how much we need to get us from one season to the next, based on our preferences. Of course, we all have a freezer or two… now being run by solar power, thank you.
Well, the kids have seen us take what we need in the neighborhood and then prepare the rest for someone who may not be as lucky as we are. For example, for years we have kept Mrs. Hildebrand’s freezer filled with vegetables and fruits or have cooked for her and taken her food for the week. But, now that Mrs. Hildebrand seems to have a new lease on life, she helped us freeze peaches over the weekend. I think she has stopped waiting… waiting to die, that is. She has decided that she may as well live her entire life. After all “waiting” can be depressing.
The kids have learned a few lessons and I can tell that they are feeling pretty good about themselves. They have learned to carpool whenever possible. They walk or ride their bicycles around the neighborhood, rather than drive to the house next door. Most have recently opened checking and savings accounts… those who didn’t have savings accounts. And, they have learned to take responsibility for themselves… and to give the rest to those who need it. What is most rewarding from where I sit is that these young people have learned that free lunches actually cost $2.98. In other words, nothing in life is free. But, the more you do together the lighten the load. That’s why I felt really good about them when they invited a new family in the neighborhood to join us tonight for television and a few games of cribbage and dominoes. Of course, the kids mostly played online games. But, we all played together… in the same room and we all felt good about our time together.
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