Baxter's Buzz
The last time I posted, I gave you my case for Ben Wallace being a hall of famer. I want to talk about us regular folks today. What is our "hall of fame"? Many will say it is heaven, and although I agree, I want to talk about our time on earth.
I was talking with a friend of mine who has been struggling with finances. Student loans has been kicking her butt and she barely has enough money for her other bills. I think it is an absolute shame that people are working (and many people still can't find work) to pay their student loans. According to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, student loan debt had reached 867 billion by the end of 2011, more than credit card debt or auto loans.
There's this illusion of the "American Dream" where people are supposed to work hard in school, go to college, get a job, buy a house, and after marriage and kids, you live happily ever after. They fail to mention that student loans are suffocating families and folks are working primarily to pay back their loans. And stress levels are at an all-time high. My wife still owes a significant amount of money and as I contemplate finishing up my degree, I am concerned that the money I'll earn with a degree won't be enough of bump in my salary to justify incurring $50,000 or more of debt.
I refuse to worry about money and spend the best part of my life stressed out. I understand that money is a necessary evil. That's why I work hard and show up everyday, but I believe that there's more to life than chasing the mighty dollar. The legacy you leave is pretty much the hall of fame for us regular folks. The lives you help improve and the smiles that you leave on people's faces when they think of you. That's how I want to be remembered. You can keep the money...well not all the money, but...you know what I mean.
