It has been said that money is merely an idea in our heads;
a perceived amount assigned to these little strips of paper and coins of metal
that we carry in our wallets. Modern
economics, however, teaches money as a “unit of account”, designed to set the
economical tone and allow for the trade of goods and service in exchange for
money.
Noting that money is that perceived amount assigned to the
individual strips of paper known as “units of account”, can it be argued that
money is not one or the other, but instead a combination of both? Could it be that money is an idealized object
and just a mere figment of imagination with no real meaning?
One side will argue that, yes, money is simply required to
live and is used to purchase things whose value is arbitrary and set to make a
profit, rather than provide benefit to the purchaser. Another side will argue the opposite; money
remains the key to the future and what makes the world go around.
Have you ever heard the saying that there are people who
have money and that there are people who are rich? I believe that money doesn’t make you who you
are; it only allows for the material and can sometimes prove to muddy the
brains of those who want and want and want, neglecting the importance of
friendships, family, security, love and safety. Our world is so obsessed with what money “means”,
that we forget that it is merely a piece of paper with an arbitrary amount.
In the world of Canadian Girl, money has consumed me. No, I don’t mean the things that the material
cannot substitute for: security and satisfaction. For the first time in my life I can safely
say that I am financially secure. Do I
have the most expensive things, or the best of the best? No. But
I have money in the bank for an emergency {yes, money will get you out of an
emergency, I’ll give you that}, a family that loves me, wonderful friends and
the love of those around me. This mere
figment in our world’s imagination has become a representation of my own
success. I do not put my full measure of
success on the balance of my bank account, but rather measure my success in the
ability to cease spending and thus viewing money as a “unit of account” to fuel
the materialistic microcosm of the economy which existed in my own head. I have transformed the “unit” to a figment or
an idea. Money is transformational and
its value lies in the beholder.
It’s clear from my experience that the true meaning of the
word ‘money’ will vary among those you talk to. So, my dears, what do you think ‘money’ is?
Hugs,
*Canadian Girl
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