Money & Happyness

Last week I bought some old video games from some guy. Not at a retail store or anything like that, but some guy who put some good deals up on Craigslist. I pulled up to his house, which was a pretty small, old looking place. Right when I got out, a woman walked out, carrying a baby. After shaking hands with the guy outside, he led me inside; Spongebob was on the TV, and two more toddler-age kids were playing around on the wooden floor. When I asked the man if he was unloading his collection, he said he was going to use the extra cash for some repairs on the house (I thought it best not to delve into employment). Guess you have to do what you have to do. Anyway, it seemed like kind of a tough setup; a wife, three young kids, a house that was probably too small to accomodate all five of them. It looked rough... but it made me realize how jaded my perception of success was. Yes, the house was pretty cramped, the yard needed a mow, and the guy was resorting to pawning off what was no doubt at one time a cherished hobby. But the man had a wife, and three lovely kids. He had a house, regardless of the size. Maybe he didn't currently have a job, but a lot of people don't have jobs right now.

Having lived a relatively comfortable middle-class life can shield you what some other people are going through. It's like traveling to a third-world country and seeing poverty all around you, thinking it's awful... then realizing that the people are still happy, oftentimes a lot happier than Americans can be. A relative one told me that in order to be successful/happy, I had to make a certain amount of money a year. The number he gave was around six figures. At the time, I thought, OK, that seems like it makes sense, and set my monetary sights high. But thinking deeper about it, not very many people-- certainly not a majority of the population-- make that much money. Of those people, however, I would like to think a good portion of them can consider themselves successful, happy people.



There was also an interesting article I read last week, talking about a guy who lives with no money at all. If you're thinking he's some hobo who lives in a cave, then you're right. But this isn't Castaway, or Hollywood at play; he's actually doing it. Scrounges around for his food, takes soapless baths in freshwater, all that good stuff. Sounds pretty disgusting, right? Maybe it's the romantic in me, but there's something admirable and appealing to such a simple, natural lifestyle. Within the context of society and modern luxuries, it's considered gross. But the man had a perfect quote, the kind scholars have framed in their den: "Money represents lack." This wasn't a man who grew up impoverished; he has a degree (in Anthropology, somewhat fittingly). What most of us would consider a life of homeless squalor, he considers free. I agree with him, but unfortunately, I am not as strong as him, nor do I share his heavy religious upbringing (I guess you could call him a true man of God). That being said, I see the benefits of society and how it is the end result of millions of years of change. If certain ways of life have occurred naturally overtime, then I don't see harm in going with the flow. At the same time, there's more harm in trying to reverse the flow, at least harm in society's terms. So props to that man and others like him who are managing to reverse the flow all by themselves.