There’s an article floating around internet land this week that made me pause for a moment. It was apparently the result of a study or some kind of matter of fact research paper meant to startle the millennial generation. I didn’t bother to read it. The title was enough to grab my attention.
It read: “If you’re going to get rich, do it by age 35. It will probably be your last chance.”
Great. I have 663 days to strike it rich. No pressure.
Who gets to determine the meaning of rich anyway? Since I’m pondering that thought (and since they clearly didn’t ask me to be in the survey) I’ll go ahead and put myself into the middle class category. There’s nothing wrong with the middle. It’s cozy and comfortable and what I’ve grown to know in my 33 years on this earth. But if I happen to strike it rich within the next 663 days, here are five things I would do with that extra cash.
- Pay off all debt. In my mind, the only monthly bills rich people pay are the basic necessities. They don’t crunch numbers each month to pay off school loans or their mortgage. I can’t imagine how much people save each year without a mortgage! I mean, I can, but it’s not my reality. It will be when I strike it rich.
- Schedule a vacation or 22. And while on vacation, we’ll stay in a fancy hotel; not the one with the best discounts and sketchy bed sheets.
- Buy a bug. Not the creepy crawly kind, but a Volkswagen Beetle. A black one, with a pink flower holder on the steering wheel. My husband would hate it, but he’d be OK because his own favorite ride would be sitting next to my bug in the garage. Plus, I’d throw in front row tickets to the NBA finals to win him over.
- Put away money (lots of money) so our girls could go to any college they wish. Help out family members who need a little extra financial boost and share our wealth with local organizations.
- Quickly realize that all the money in the world can’t buy what I already have. Two little girls who fill my heart with more joy than I ever thought possible. A handsome husband who happens to love me more than I deserve. Supportive, crazy, wonderfully loud and loving family and friends. A beautiful house located in the middle of a state that I’m proud to call home. Freedom to speak to you fine folks each and every week. Fresh air in my lungs and a God above who loves me for all that I am and all that I’m not.
A statistical survey can’t tell me or you our worth in this life. At the age of 33 years and 67 days, I’ve already experienced a richness any human being would be lucky to claim. Look around. I’d be willing to bet you have, too.