economy

There's an entire alternative economy of people who don't work jobs, or at least who don't earn their money from their day job.  Not all of these people are are wealthy, but everyone who is wealthy is one of these people.

I'm feeling bitter because I was never taught about this economy.  I don't have any experience with it and it's difficult to know how to start, because by it's nature it is ad-hoc and specialized.  But this is where I am going to try to go.

Jobs are for suckers.  Oh sure, there's dignity to work, and it's not a bad way to pay the rent in the short term, but if you look to your job to take care of you over the span of your life and your children's lives, you will never be free; you will work until you no longer can.

That thought terrifies me.

Every time I meet one of these people, who live outside of the daily grind, I feel simultaneously ashamed and jealous and bitter and indignant.  But I try very hard not to be angry at them, because instead I need to learn from them.  

Swallowing my pride is very hard, but hopefully I can be honest with myself, at least.  I am not currently where I want to be, and I should start learning what I need to do to get there.

3 comments:

  1. I share your frustration (for myself, I wouldn't quite call it bitterness) at never having been taught about this alternative economy. But I figure there's time to learn. Any ideas where to start?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I feel like that sort of vision is too good to be true... sort of like those ads for "work at home and make CEO pay!" type of scams. or maybe I'm too cynical.

    It would be so cool to have both Robin and I hang out at home with the nooblet and not have to do a daily grind, a la dooce.com but I'm not that interesting. What are the other options?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well yeah, I think that any time someone tries to sell you that lifestyle, it is too good to be true.

    now I will quote ronald reagan:

    "Roughly 94 percent of the people in capitalist America make their living from wage or salary. Only 6 percent are true capitalists in the sense of deriving income from ownership of the means of production..."
    --Ronald Reagan

    I am definitely in the 94%, and I want to be in the 6%. I don't know how to get there, but I suspect that it won't be by working for a salary.

    ReplyDelete