Sunday, March 30, 2008
Alameda Rocks!
I've started seeing clients in my new office in Alameda, CA -- right on Park (near Otis, across from the new Borders bookstore) -- and it is LOVELY. Really easy to get to, easy parking. Lovely.
Resolved: The internet is an infinite source for distraction
http://www.anagramgenius.com/server.html
http://www.says-it.com/
(I used the "Latin Motto generator" to make the motto in the seal to the left)
The Last Taboo?
Is money the last taboo? In American society since the 1950s, one tradition after another has been examined and often discarded. Most old ways of being were thrown out and throughout the 60's through now, every taboo has been brought into the light -- things that used to be kept secret, hidden. Did you know you used to not be able to say the word "pregnant" on TV? That's where phrases like "bun in the oven" came from. But still, mention money -- either talk about your relationship with money or ask someone about theirs, and you're likely to see some squirming.
Some people find Suze Orman annoying -- or frightening -- but I think her popularity is an example of how starved people are to talk about money, get some direction and instruction on what to do with their money -- which just spells out how rare this kind of mentoring is.
Money is a special kind of challenge in early adulthood. We're caught between ideals of who we wanted to be when we were younger, and who we need to be in order to survive on our own. There may be judgments -- spoken or implied -- from friends or family. There may be embarrassment about having or not having money. It's a complicated web.
Sometimes the instruction in our families of origin is to keep everything about money secret -- so you get to suffer your fear in private when you don't have enough, or you don't get to share with anyone your enthusiasm about having just gotten a windfall. We've all heard the stories of people who get a huge windfall -- from an inheritance or winning the lottery, for example -- who find all manner of long-lost "friends" sudden;y pop up out of nowhere hoping to get their hands on some of that cash. It can bring out the best and worst in people.
Some people find Suze Orman annoying -- or frightening -- but I think her popularity is an example of how starved people are to talk about money, get some direction and instruction on what to do with their money -- which just spells out how rare this kind of mentoring is.
Money is a special kind of challenge in early adulthood. We're caught between ideals of who we wanted to be when we were younger, and who we need to be in order to survive on our own. There may be judgments -- spoken or implied -- from friends or family. There may be embarrassment about having or not having money. It's a complicated web.
Sometimes the instruction in our families of origin is to keep everything about money secret -- so you get to suffer your fear in private when you don't have enough, or you don't get to share with anyone your enthusiasm about having just gotten a windfall. We've all heard the stories of people who get a huge windfall -- from an inheritance or winning the lottery, for example -- who find all manner of long-lost "friends" sudden;y pop up out of nowhere hoping to get their hands on some of that cash. It can bring out the best and worst in people.
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