Money, Money, Money

I will have to live the life I preach and take the same, at times, harsh medicine I’m asking them to swallow

Cover of the reissue of Pink Floyd's single "Money" Courtesy: Wikimedia

(AGOURA, Calif.) - I had naively hoped never to live through times like my folks did, with The Great Depression.

And, while I still believe that we’re far from those dark days, it is clear that we are in the midst of the worst financial crisis of my life and certainly of my boy’s lives.

There are lessons for them, for me, for all of us. And, they’re all pretty familiar. I’m hoping my boys will gain wisdom from what we’re presently experiencing.

We’ve had discussions about how and where we will now spend money. Things often taken for granted will no longer be available. I will have to live the life I preach and take the same, at times, harsh medicine I’m asking them to swallow.

First, we’re cutting out all the “extras.” Yeah, that means no more Art School at $180 per month, no more Rock ‘N’ Roll School at $280 per month, no more sleep away Summer Camp, and no more exotic heli-skiing trips for the adults.

Eating out is limited to special occasions; movies are seen from the library or the occasional matinee at a Theatre. Wedding plans for me and my fiancé were revised; we eloped, and my son’s Bar Mitzvah will no longer take place at Dodger Stadium with limos for everyone (just kidding…about the limos).

The other day I was helping my younger son set up his computer. He inherited my old one as I finally upgraded mine. I looked around his room and realized the extraordinary amount of “things” he possessed and that he’d known no other way of living till now!

There was a TV, DVD player, two or three portable video game devices, an “old” cell-phone (we’d just upgraded to newer ones as our former provider didn’t work where we recently moved), and more boxed DVD sets than they carry at Blockbuster.

And, now, his own computer, albeit a “used” one. Nah, the lessons they will learn will serve them well. Won’t hurt their old man either.

Till the next one…

Bruce Sallan gave up his showbiz career a decade ago to raise his two boys, full-time, now 12 and 15. His nationally syndicated column, A Dad’s Point-of-View, is his take on the challenges of parenthood and male/female issues, both as a single dad and now, newly remarried, in a blended family. In addition to Salem-News.com, his column is available in over 50 newspapers and Web sites in the U.S. and internationally. He can be reached at: brucesallan@gmail.com.