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August 20, 2002
perspective
Hmm...thank god for good and old friends. Job announcements are POURING in, and I have to struggle to keep track of them all. And viable ones too, like this oh-so-jimbo job. There's this other shady defense lead too, but it's at night. Hmm...we've tried that gig and it doesn't suit me; but at $75K I might be interested in temporarily altering my sleep patterns.
But first I must accomplish a few things at work. My recessive Scandanavian work ethic traits are actually kicking in today. I don't know where the dominant slacker genes come from...I should shake my tree and find out some day.
Anyway, back to the friends issue. One friend from way back kind of set me in my place with this comment (this friend does that often, with great skill and accuracy):
"Debt is so hard, but you are not the only one. We are watching lots of our friends buy houses and yet we are still two years out from paying off our credit cards--at $[enter outrageous value here] a month mind you! Think how our house savings could be growing if we didn't have that and the +$[enter outrageous value here] a month in grad. school loans. So you shouldn't feel like you are the only one who has regrets and feels like they aren't where they want to be. It must be hard, though, being around a whole bunch of other competitive, hierarchy-conscious men all the time. It is good that you have a diverse group of friends."
I have not been to grad school, in fact I came out of undergrad in the black. I have not had a costly wedding like the above said friend either. I'm probably not as deeply indebted. This friend mentioned this fact to me way back in the Spring, and the comment was forgotten as I became more self-centered. This friend has a point though, and I have a feeling that I'm not in as deep as a lot of people out there. I just HATE being in what I consider financially unstable conditions, as you may have noticed. I like stability. Positive cash flow. No debt. I don't need to be rich, just comfortable.
The second part of this friend's comment was funny. I guess I describe my gay friends to others as "competitive, hierarchy-concious" people. However, while some guys in DC may buy into that, I don't think my closest friends give a hoot. I have settled in with a bunch of people who have been living here for quite some time, who don't have that "I live in DC and the Fate of the Free World rests on MY shoulders alone" complex. Whether my friends are high-up or not, they don't go around touting the fact that they have an exclusive 'in' with Sentator Blowhard or Rep. Richochet. They live here because they like DC, not because they seek to drink from the cup of power. I don't know where those other people live, probably out near Reston I'd guess.
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Posted by jimbo at August 20, 2002 10:26 AM
Comments
best of luck to you with the Oceans' job...that does seem like an oh-so-Jimbo job
Posted by: mike s. at August 20, 2002 12:26 PM
Yeah, good luck with the Ocean Conservancy. That is one of my charities.
On the debt issue, yeah you probably aren't as bad off as a lot of people but not having a permanent full time job doesn't help out. I know I'd be freaking out. It's sad that people these days live off their credit cards, myself included. I have woken up to reality and am trying very hard to live within my means. I just am shocked by the stories you hear about college kids, or even younger, racking up $20,000 in credit card debt.
Posted by: Mark at August 20, 2002 9:11 PM