Angel behind ancient demon mask

One key common feature of the middle class is that they are a paycheck away from the slums. Talk about reality 101. Also explains the war dreams I've been having of late. And this in the face of recent comments from a misguided few who fell for the not-so-convincing illusion of wealth. People, we need focus, we need ambition.

We grow up with fairy tale notions, even the best of us. I can still remember back in the "good old innocent naive days" when I would boldly proclaim that loans are for the weak-willed with a pompous more-disciplined-than-thou smug look of my (then more appealing) face. I've since learnt a few.

I once inquired how my parents (read mother) brought us up with a fraction of my first salary. I attributed it to discipline and self sacrifice anchored on a mothers love. True, there's an element of that, but that's not how they did it. You know how they did it? Y'all who don't come from humble backgrounds won't know this. They did it by paying that so called impatience tax which I so fervently condemned in my ignorance.

I should have started by explaining what I mean by impatience tax. You see, lending institutions do not give you money you don't have, they give you money you don't have yet. You actually can collect all the money you borrow just by waiting a significant fraction of the time it will take you to repay. So, since the world might end soon, you take your future income now and pay impatience tax at the prevailing rates and directly proportional to the length of time you were unwilling to wait.

For now let's not mention that saving requires a bit more than the average human is able (read willing) to endure. Let's not even mention the psychic nature of financial emergencies that seem to know when you've accumulated enough to afford them. And let's not mention that personal use asset that grows more resplendent pro rata to the growth of your savings.

The point is, if you fit the [humble background but educated] bill, your parents borrowed. Heavily, repeatedly, mercilessly, religiously even. So that's how they educated that bunch of misfits, and built that (mansion) of a house and got all those things that don't seem to matter to young people nowadays. Where's that freaking loan application form? PS, is a Subaru B4 a personal use or investment asset? And does how fast I drive it change the asset class? No? Oh well.

I have three more years in my revised timetable to do this right.

Random though - I met someone a few years my senior and he seems to be doing well as far as oratory skills go. C'mon balls, we have work to do.

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