Personal Responsibility and Financial Fortitude

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One of the things that I am most thankful for in my life is the lesson my maw and paw taught me about personal responsibility financial fortitude. I got this from my parents who lived on 50K a year for a family of 4 in 1983. Granted, this was almost 40 years ago, but that is still not a lot of money even back then. I cannot stress the importance of this lesson enough:
  • When I drove their cars, I was to be respectful and not showboat or do stupid stuff (minus the time Rich Jolly put the red car in neutral at a light and slammed the car into drive, effectively dropping the transmission) - like let another person drive.  Their property, their money - it was to be respected.  
  • We were not brought up on a "disposable" mindset. No matter what it was, when we purchased it, we were expected to take good care of it so that it lasted longer.
  • When I went to college, they cosigned on a student loan that I HAD TO PAY BACK (thanks MOM).  
  • When I turned 18, I went to college, and lived in the dorm. If I wanted to live in apartment, then I was to pay for it, not them.  
  • They taught me that I needed to start being an adult when I turned 18 - as much as you can in a dorm on a college campus.  
  • I was brought up knowing that I was on my own, and not to come back and ask for handouts. Would they have given me money had I needed it or asked for it? YES. I know they would have, but I respect them too much to do so.  
  • If I got speeding tickets or had car trouble, I paid for them both before I left home and after. 
  • If I got in any trouble, I had to get myself out of it - which is why I didn't get in trouble much.  
  • When I got out of school, they told me that I could come home to live, but I would pay rent and contribute to the household. I don't think this is off base.  
Financial Fortitude
The thing I like about all of the above is that I knew I needed to figure it out on my own - and DO THE RIGHT THING, no matter what.  That meant relying on myself, not others to carry me. That meant having roommates if I couldn't afford an apartment on my own. That meant eating ramen noodles if I didn't have enough money for food. I've had 31 roommates in the 52 years I've been on this earth not counting Mom, Dad and Christy. Not because I am hard to live with, but because when I needed too, I butched up and did what needed to be done to be financially sound.  

 I would like to take a moment to thank George and Joanne for teaching me personal responsibility and financial fortitude. Without this, I would not have paid off my cars on my own, driven them for 10 years and kept them in such incredible shape. I would not have purchased my first home and made $100K on the sale of it, or be blessed with the home and the life I have now because of it. I appreciate this lesson, even with all the hard times I had to live through to learn it and get where I am today.

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