UNCOMMON CENTS 84

WHAT NUMBERS REPRESENT IS WORTH THINKING ABOUT. WHERE DO YOU COME DOWN ON THEIR MEANINGS IN YOUR LIFE?

$.60 AN HR. FOR YOUR FIRST JOB AT AGE 15 WAS PROBABLY JUST AS EXCITING A FIGURE AS THE RAISE TO $2.50 OR THAT TEACHING JOB IN 1964 AT $5,300.00 A YEAR. IT'S A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE. IN 1964, A FIGHTER PILOT IN VIET NAM ACCEPTED $10,000 A YR. FOR A 16 HR, 7 DAYS A WEEK, DANGEROUS JOB.

TO A BARGAIN HUNTER, A $.50 CD OF PERRY COMO FROM GOODWILL RESONATES WITH AS MUCH SATISFACTION AS A $10.00 CD OF FRANK SINATRA PURCHASED FROM AMAZON. COM.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE $34.00 AN HOUR PAID TO TEACHERS TODAY OR THE $10,000 PLUNKED DOWN FOR A SEMESTER'S COLLEGE COURSE ON SNOW BOARDING OR THE $800,000 COMPENSATING THE PRESIDENT OF YALE UNIVERSITY - YOU PROBABLY WILL CONCLUDE THAT SUCH EXPENDITURES ARE UNJUSTIFIED AND DEFY COMMON SENSE.

20,000 LIGHT BULBS WASTE ENERGY WHEN THEY ILLUMINATE THE EIFFEL TOWER JUST AS CELEBRITIES AND POLITICIANS BURN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN JET FUEL TO TOOL AROUND THE WORLD PROCLAIMING THE NEED TO CONSERVE ENERGY. DON’T SUCH NUMBERS PROVE THE DELUSION OF CONSERVATIONALISM?

WHAT SIGNIFICANCE ARE JUST 3 AVERAGE DEGREES OF WARMING OF THE PLANET BY THE YEAR 2100 IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTINUOUS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE? HOW MINUSCULE IS .003 AS AN IMPACT STATEMENT?

THE SAVINGS RATE OF AMERICANS IS 0%. BUT WHEN NET HOUSEHOLD WORTH INCLUDES ASSETS IN AN IRA, 401K OR A HOME, SAVINGS CAN ACTUALLY TOTAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. FOR THIS REASON, ECONOMISTS DON'T SEE THE SAVINGS PICTURE AS BLEAK. 0% PROFIT IF YOU OWN A STOCK, HOWEVER, IS BLEAK ESPECIALLY IF THE COMPANY YOU INVEST IN LOSES MONEY PRACTICING SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH VIRTUOUS SPENDING IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

HINT: THINK ABOUT IT. WHEN YOUR ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT A PURSUIT, MONEY RARELY ENTERS INTO THE EQUATION. BUT WHEN YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT MONEY, WHAT YOU PURSUE DOES MATTER. NUMBERS REPRESENT DATA WHICH YOU MUST INTERPRET AND ACT UPON RESPONSIBLY.