I always owe taxes. I think there was a year when I was 16 that I owed nothing. I probably logged a grand total of a 100 hours at Dairy Queen that year (and logged at least as many DQ treats). That was a pretty good year. I've been writing checks to the United States Treasury ever since. I am not that familiar with the stages of grief, but I imagine that owing tax come April 15th takes you on a short but poignant journey through them all. I did denial- that was Saturday. I filled out as many tax forms as I could get my hands on. Each one had a brief moment of hope. Namely, that moment where I misread the final statement and thought that I was getting a refund. I did anger. Saturday, also. But then I thought (it helps that I come to this realization every year at this time) that the money was technically never mine to begin with and I use more public services than the average person and I am a big proponent of public health care- so I better get used to paying taxes. Monday was acceptance. Now I'm moving on, i.e. being poor again. I am cheaping out whenever possible. At first this sounds like a dreary existence but there's a big upside.
Mostly- freedom from stuff. National Geographic just did a special called Human Footprint. It's eye-opening. And it's important. It's important to have an awareness of our impact on the earth. My mantra is something that Mahatma Ghandi once said- 'be the change you want to see in the world.' We can't ask for anything more or anything less.
Today I found this on the side of the road.
It made me feel like a winner.
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