Just recently theKid told me I smelled \u201csus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have no idea what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not entirely true \u2026 word comprehension is important, and \u201csus\u201d is modern-speak for \u201csuspicious\u201d \u2026 as in Among Us \u201csus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See, I\u2019m hip.\u00a0 I\u2019m down.\u00a0 I\u2019m funky.\u00a0 Extremely so, apparently (heh<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyhoo theKid\u2019s comment provoked a thought \u2026 about the generational divide, and the debts we owe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bear with me here (or not \u2026 byy-yyyeeee<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not monetary debts, but the debts we owe to each other, to (some) other humans, to our parents, to our progeny.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a significant timeline between me and theKid \u2026 older parent, only (lonely?) child \u2026 and I recently just realized (late, I know \u2014 kinda slow) that I owe a debt to my child, and a massive one, at that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every parent owes their child a debt of responsibility.\u00a0 No one asked to be born (if so, answer may have been no<\/em>) and the product of a parent\u2019s decision owns the rights to responsible, prudent parenting.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n May have mentioned amongst these parts that while growing up, my parents didn\u2019t provide much education in the form of financial literacy, and that\u2019s a price I pay today, with compounding interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not to blame them but to blame them, had I received serious instruction re the actual costs of living, I might have just committed suicide at 15\u2014 no, not really, but death is<\/strong><\/em> the only escape from taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even then, the IRS might exhume your body.\u00a0 For testing.\u00a0 And verification (heebie-meet-jeebie<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Half was brought up differently, and Half\u2019s money = mindset still manifests to this day. Much smarter, safer, stronger with money than I am, and Half\u2019s early education has been a benefit not just to Half, but to our family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n theKid would not have a house but for Half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n theKid would not have private school but for Half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n theKid would not enjoy present lifestyle if not for Half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d probably be either an apartment dweller or perhaps even vehicle-sheltered (if lucky) or maybe cardboard box town (if really not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently read a BuzzFeed topic about the realities of not having shelter, and how expensive it really is \u2026 no place to store food, so everything must be killed (bought\/given\/dumpster-dived) and immediately eaten \u2026 forget winter\/everyone cares about winter\/but the heat<\/em>, and no way to escape it\/100\u00b0+ maybe but \u226499\u00b0 SOL all over you\/ \u2026 being forced to wander exhausted all day if working nights bc shelters are shut from 6am \u2013 8pm \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Really forces one to consider just how blessed one is, when considering the conditions of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I\u2019m driving solo and see a homeless person with a dog (never a cat \u2013 notice that?\u00a0 Cats are the women of the world \u2026 if you can\u2019t provide, watch ‘er slide) on the side of the road\/on the offramp I give money.\u00a0 Never do it when riding with Half (Half will fuss and shrill at me for doing so) but I always feel a little guilty when I see a homeless dog person, like … they are better people, and really don\u2019t deserve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Slight digress but not really … a homeless guy was offered an apartment but declined because he couldn’t keep his dog … said the dog had been with him during the bad times, deserved a place to live for the good times … later ended up getting a place that accepted pets … feels<\/em>, all the feels<\/em>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe, maybe not.\u00a0 But I really do believe there\u2019s enough food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and purpose to go around for all 7.5-8B of us, if not for the resource-hoarders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Masters of mankind, indeed.\u00a0 Masters of misery, more like it.\u00a0 {Luke 18:25<\/em>}<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe our debt isn\u2019t solely to our kids, but to each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hunh.\u00a0 Going to have to chew on that. But – blessedly – with steak, at a table, in a house, with A\/C, that Half built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GOD is good, all the time. GOD is great, everyday. Peace<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Just recently theKid told me I smelled \u201csus.\u201d I have no idea what that means. That\u2019s not entirely true \u2026 word comprehension is important, and \u201csus\u201d is modern-speak for \u201csuspicious\u201d \u2026 as in Among Us \u201csus.\u201d See, I\u2019m hip.\u00a0 I\u2019m down.\u00a0 I\u2019m funky.\u00a0 Extremely so, apparently (heh). Anyhoo theKid\u2019s comment provoked a thought \u2026 about … <\/p>\n