Yesterday I was walking the dog in a lovely park with my husband who is recovering from a painful back surgery. He was talking about the raised flower beds he wants to put in our little townhouse backyard. Nearby was a homeless man nodding off at a picnic table. The sharp contrast cut deeply. I wanted to stop talking about our house and plans, even though we've got our own struggles. As someone who experienced a period of homelessness, joblessness, food insecurity, abuse and financial terror decades ago, I did not want the man to overhear our conversation. What would he think? That I didn't understand? That I didn't care? That we are the privileged and he the marginalized?
I am indeed blessed beyond belief. Yet sometimes I don't feel deserving in a world that has so much suffering. I know I do good with what I have been given, I know these gifts are for me, and I know it is okay to accept them. But the distance between the head and the heart is a long, rough road. I travel it every day.
I find my tax bill utterly baffling, too, Satya, and even though I know to expect to pay at the end of Jan and at the end of July, it's always an unpleasant surprise to be signing away a large sum of cash. But I do feel pleased and proud to be contributing to a greater effort.
As they say, the devil is in the details. As a writer of English haiku, I know life is all about details. And yes, I miss some too. With finances, I decide on purchases by asking myself if it is a want or a need. And sometimes, the answer is disappointment.
Whilst you were puzzling over finances I was just down the road on a blissful morning as the Priory choristers prepared themselves to sing from the top of the tower. Today is my pension day but the only thing on my mind was how wonderful life can be and not how much tax was owed. That half hour was the best I have had for weeks. But coffee and croissant called me across the road.
Tax bills in our area are always due the first of December. I find partly heinous but also sort of smart: maybe the gov't comprehends that people have extra savings for the holidays, in case they forget about the bill? As for my own relationship with money, well my mom was a math teacher who didn't believe in owing anyone money. So for a long time using even a debit card made me anxious. Then a married the guy who wants to accumulate as many points as possible on his fancy card. It blew my mind! Managing money becomes an entirely different ballgame in a marriage of shared funds and ideas!
This is so relatable Satya. As someone who is doing somewhat similar work to you, on a similar level of income I know all too well how it feels with those unexpectedly high tax bills. And with them running a year behind, if one isn't making the same level of income the following year and haven't saved up for it in the same year, it hurts.
But like you, currently I am privileged in so many ways and have relatively low living costs. And thinking of tax money as helping others, helps too. However thinking of the high level of tax avaision done by multinational corporations just makes me frustrated and angry.
Yesterday I was walking the dog in a lovely park with my husband who is recovering from a painful back surgery. He was talking about the raised flower beds he wants to put in our little townhouse backyard. Nearby was a homeless man nodding off at a picnic table. The sharp contrast cut deeply. I wanted to stop talking about our house and plans, even though we've got our own struggles. As someone who experienced a period of homelessness, joblessness, food insecurity, abuse and financial terror decades ago, I did not want the man to overhear our conversation. What would he think? That I didn't understand? That I didn't care? That we are the privileged and he the marginalized?
I am indeed blessed beyond belief. Yet sometimes I don't feel deserving in a world that has so much suffering. I know I do good with what I have been given, I know these gifts are for me, and I know it is okay to accept them. But the distance between the head and the heart is a long, rough road. I travel it every day.
I find my tax bill utterly baffling, too, Satya, and even though I know to expect to pay at the end of Jan and at the end of July, it's always an unpleasant surprise to be signing away a large sum of cash. But I do feel pleased and proud to be contributing to a greater effort.
As they say, the devil is in the details. As a writer of English haiku, I know life is all about details. And yes, I miss some too. With finances, I decide on purchases by asking myself if it is a want or a need. And sometimes, the answer is disappointment.
Whilst you were puzzling over finances I was just down the road on a blissful morning as the Priory choristers prepared themselves to sing from the top of the tower. Today is my pension day but the only thing on my mind was how wonderful life can be and not how much tax was owed. That half hour was the best I have had for weeks. But coffee and croissant called me across the road.
Also, I don't think chocolates are a luxury!
Tax bills in our area are always due the first of December. I find partly heinous but also sort of smart: maybe the gov't comprehends that people have extra savings for the holidays, in case they forget about the bill? As for my own relationship with money, well my mom was a math teacher who didn't believe in owing anyone money. So for a long time using even a debit card made me anxious. Then a married the guy who wants to accumulate as many points as possible on his fancy card. It blew my mind! Managing money becomes an entirely different ballgame in a marriage of shared funds and ideas!
This is so relatable Satya. As someone who is doing somewhat similar work to you, on a similar level of income I know all too well how it feels with those unexpectedly high tax bills. And with them running a year behind, if one isn't making the same level of income the following year and haven't saved up for it in the same year, it hurts.
But like you, currently I am privileged in so many ways and have relatively low living costs. And thinking of tax money as helping others, helps too. However thinking of the high level of tax avaision done by multinational corporations just makes me frustrated and angry.
Enjoy the rest of your day!