Budget is indeed a six-letter word but we often see it as something dirty, constrictive, and restrictive. However, many of us, if we hadn’t already, are learning that in today’s world we’ve had to define a new normal. Living on a budget is nothing to become uneasy about or even discouraged by. Being accountable to how you spend and what you spend it on is not only wise, it will also make you think about what is truly important to you. From those who are super shoppers to the charitable giver, having a budget actually gives you more freedom to do the things you want and need. And with the new school year about to begin and summer nearing its end, it’s something to really think about. It’s never too late to improve your finances.
You don’t have to go to college
It’s almost time for another mass matriculation, the time when students enter doe-eyed and blissfully unaware of the realities of life during and after college. Most teenagers enter college with no idea of the financial, psychological, and other costs of attending school. I’m certainly not advocating not bettering oneself and pursing some form of education but I do advocate other non-traditional means of doing so.
Here’s a fact, or one that I have personally observed – not everyone is meant to go to college and not everyone will benefit from having done so. I don’t mean to blaspheme in our three-college town, however; speaking from an HR standpoint, knowing that you obtained a college degree often simply means that you completed classes. It does little to show me your real aptitude and ability as a person and potential employee. The fact is, you may be better suited for a technical or trade school. And that’s not a knock on those institutions of higher learning.
A Moment of Reflection: Travel
Today has been a harrowing day and yet in this moment I find a moment of forced pause to consider recent events. Last week I took a trip with my parents to Orlando, FL. I had not been there in over a decade and honestly could not recall what it had been like to ever fly into its airport. Being the germaphobe anti-social person that I am I was immediately taken by the many people who coughed, sneezed, and were out in public. While most of the people I saw were in the Atlanta airport, I did feel like everywhere that I touched or came in contact with could give me some sort of disease. Am I strange in my fear of being sick? My brother says that I’m a hypochondriac however, I seemingly get sick at the drop of a hat. If I am sneezed upon or in the general area of someone who is ill I will catch it or something worse within a day or two of exposure. I certainly don’t think that that’s being a hypochondriac.
As Forrest says: Stupid is as stupid does
When do we stop making excuses and hold people truly accountable for their actions? When do we stop and say, ignorance doesn’t give you the right to be incompetent? It really bothers me when people butcher the English language in ways that are almost beyond comprehension. Add to that how texting is a language unto itself. It’s a more rudimentary phonetic form of English that has made its way into places where it’s simply not appropriate. Texting language doesn’t make me think you’re clever or cute, it makes me wonder if you know how to spell.
Social Networking Abstinence Week
I’ve dubbed this week my Social Networking Abstinence Week. Why? Because much like taking a shower or brushing my teeth, it’s become something that is among the long list of things I feel I’m to do in the day. At times I feel like being on Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+ is like a second job. It can be quite exhausting and I just needed a break. I assure you that it’s not forever.
LaToya M. Davidson-Perez 