The first time I remember thinking about money was when my family moved to Danville, Pennsylvania. I was in 6th grade. After seeing the house my parents had decided to buy, it occurred to me that we may be better off than just comfortable. I had never really heard my parents argue over money or worry about it and we were usually able to do what we wanted to without too much financial hold up. However, shortly after this move, some arguments did arise. My father had lost $100,000 on the stock market. I remember being shocked that so much money could be lost so quickly.
I think that my parents did their best to teach me about money, but the subject usually wasn’t broached until it had to be. Unfortunately, I think this has had an adverse effect on my approach to finances. I find money fairly difficult to talk about at times, because it is a source of anxiety. As I have gotten older, I have, of course, realized that avoiding the subject doesn’t help with the anxiety, and done my best to approach it calmly.
This earliest memory is only one example of the times I have seen financial crisis negatively impact myself and those around me. Along with the general anxiety around the subject, I think this causes me to be cautious, and maybe even a bit paranoid when it comes to money. I recognize that I need to keep this in mind because it could lead to a lack of generosity.