by Alysa Dudley

Created on: February 15, 2009

It's only paper, I said the other day, but oh what importance we attach to that symbol! It provides the means to exist in our society. What limits will we not go to to obtain it? Life as we live it is unthinkable without it.

What does it mean to me?

1. Power. Without money you are at other people's mercy, people like parents, adult children, spouses, etc.

2. Independence. The ability to do the things that I enjoy. For example, driving to see places and people that I love. Without the money to maintain a car, going out would be very difficult.

3. The ability to buy what I want without paying an inordinate amount of attention to the price tag. Paradoxically, I love to go to yard sales. I will go to several supermarkets to get the best prices, and I always look for good deals in stores. Finding bargains, and not paying more than necessary, is a challenge that I enjoy. As child growing up during the depression, I am not constitutionally able to ignore price tags entirely.

4. To eat out whenever the desire kicks in. When my husband and I grew up our families never ate out in restaurants, so we both enjoy this very much.

5. Travel, to go where the whim moves. My wildest fantasies as a child never imagined that I would be able to travel the world

6. To give gifts to children and others whenever I desire. Gift giving is one of my pleasures.

Money is the glue that keeps some not so great relationships together.

Money glosses over many character faults and makes sultans out of wimps. Money glorifies the acquisitive instinct.
Money, or the lack of it, gives definition to our lives.

Note: This piece was originally written in 1992 by my mother, Dora Back. She passed away over four years ago, and I inherited a box of her compositions. Most of this piece is in her own words, though I have done some editing.

It is interesting for me to read her thoughts. She was always generous, but her one of her greatest pleasures was to give us her finds from yard sales. In re-reading this piece, I see that what she wanted was the security of having money, and the ability to spend it as she desired. She worked her whole life. She managed her money wisely, saving for the future while enjoying the present. Two years before she retired, she started the After Six Secretarial Service. In addition to typing, she helped people write their resumes. My mother continued working at this business the rest of her life.

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