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 think I avoid the guilt/pain you speak about here in all sorts of ways - I feel it most acutely around the climate crisis (all I could be doing but aren't) and as you say there are so many people suffering in so many ways. Other than always giving everything we have away, I don't see how else it can be 'solved' other than continuing to work with it, doing what we can, being gentle... Grateful to those parts of you that wanted to be kind to that man. And I hope your husband's pain eases as time goes on 🙏🏻
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.
We walked the dogs through the Priory grounds earlier we might just have missed you! It is indeed a beautiful day and the most precious things in life are not for sale. Hurray for coffee & croissants! 🙏🏻
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!
I've been watching Ramit Sethi on Netflix - How to Make You Rich or something - interesting stuff and he talks about using credit cards for that reason. I'm like you Elizabeth and hate being in debt even if it's just until paying them off the end of the month. And yes how being in a couple affects our relationship with money is a whole other post 😉 lovely to have you here x
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.
Thanks for sharing Linn! & yes, like you I feel incredibly privileged, & yes boo to those massive companies and some of the extremely rich elite, but I comfort myself sometimes by remembering wealth can be a heavy burden! The middle way... Enjoy your day too, the sun is shining here x
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 think I avoid the guilt/pain you speak about here in all sorts of ways - I feel it most acutely around the climate crisis (all I could be doing but aren't) and as you say there are so many people suffering in so many ways. Other than always giving everything we have away, I don't see how else it can be 'solved' other than continuing to work with it, doing what we can, being gentle... Grateful to those parts of you that wanted to be kind to that man. And I hope your husband's pain eases as time goes on 🙏🏻
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.
Thanks Mike. I can imagine. And I hope you get the things you want but don't need sometimes too : )
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.
We walked the dogs through the Priory grounds earlier we might just have missed you! It is indeed a beautiful day and the most precious things in life are not for sale. Hurray for coffee & croissants! 🙏🏻
Also, I don't think chocolates are a luxury!
I'm with you 100% 😊
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!
I've been watching Ramit Sethi on Netflix - How to Make You Rich or something - interesting stuff and he talks about using credit cards for that reason. I'm like you Elizabeth and hate being in debt even if it's just until paying them off the end of the month. And yes how being in a couple affects our relationship with money is a whole other post 😉 lovely to have you here x
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!
Thanks for sharing Linn! & yes, like you I feel incredibly privileged, & yes boo to those massive companies and some of the extremely rich elite, but I comfort myself sometimes by remembering wealth can be a heavy burden! The middle way... Enjoy your day too, the sun is shining here x