Money Is Power
Money Is Power
At the risk of repeating this blog post, I believe money is power. Financial independence is the freedom to exercise this power that’s consistent with your values and ethics. Those struggling from paycheck to paycheck are powerless. Their ability to mold circumstances is severely limited. The only, I repeat only, reason to strive for financial freedom is to maintain control of an ever-changing world.
You may not be able to control all the stress and misfortune that life has to offer. But with a little bit of money, your intelligence and know-how will pull you through.
These thoughts have been bouncing about in my mind this week, as my wife and I have tried to deal with a situation that we find quite unacceptable.
Money is power. Power allows for options. Options are crucial to choice.
Choice brings solutions.
Pride and Joy
As most parents, my children are my pride and joy. One of the vast benefits of financial independence is to be able to provide for them materially as well as emotionally. While we continue to be frugal, I’m willing to loosen the purse strings when the benefit for my children is clear.
I received a phone call from the school nurse on Monday that my thirteen year old son had repeatedly been hit in the face by another student during lunchtime. My son, almost five feet tall and all of 65 pounds, is an incredibly kind and gentle soul. His impression of heaven is cuddling dogs and cats and playing with electronics. Parent teacher conferences are full of praise on how kind, sweet, and caring he is.
Yet, this is the third episode this year, where he has been tackled, manhandled, or punched. Mostly by people that he doesn’t even know (he didn’t know the name of this last attacker). Investigations, each time, have shown that he played little role in these confrontations.
He was an innocent bystander.
When I came to pick him up at the nurses office, he had a large bump on his forehead where one of the multiple punches had landed. I was furious.
Decisions
Being a physician has taught me many things. Some good, some bad. But I used my most frightening techniques of persuasion learned from fighting for my patient’s lives, when I lambasted the school administrator that afternoon.
The topic of in-school violence is well above and beyond the scope of this blog. Needless to say that there is a tremendous lack of empathy in the culture set by the school district. The administrators are powerless, and their punishments are toothless.
But, the point of all this rambling, is to remember that we have choices. We pulled my daughter out of the same district for similar reasons, and sent her to private school. The private school is wonderful, bullying is almost nonexistent, and the quality of education is superior.
This comes at a cost. $20,000 a year. A cost that many can’t afford.
Money is power. And being financially independent allows me the freedom to remove my son from this school district and pay for something better. The ultimate privilege.
Will We Change Schools?
This is the subject of intense debate in our household at the moment.
If we were debt ridden and living on the edge, this debate would be a luxurious dream.
It certainly wouldn’t be our reality.
Ugh! Bullying is the worst! Sorry you have to go through this as a parent. I’d be calling the cops and reporting assault. You’re right. Money does bring power, and power gives us options. We also send our kids to private school and we are fortunate to have that option. My son was the victim of a bullying incident and that was quickly nipped in the bud by the administration. Another strike and the other kid would have been out.
I wish our public school was as good with discipline as your kid’s school seems to be! I never realized before how worth it Private School is.
Sorry to hear about that Doc. I grew up in Baltimore City and we didn’t have a ton of money, but may parents knew that if they sent me to the public schools my life would not be good. Fights were with fists for sure, but also knives and other things as well. So my Dad worked overtime to send me to a private school, and I would not be where I am today had they not done that.
Your dad did you well. Baltimore hits me as a tough city. I’m finding more and more people in the FIRE community who thinks private school is worthwhile.
Wow Doc, this is hard to read. Sorry about your son. I was bullied in public school growing up, and that experience led me to put my kids in private school.
But you are correct that the money I earn gave me power to address this problem in a way others don’t have. I empathize with parents who don’t have that option. I have taught my children this exact lessson – working hard gives you money, which gives you options.
Hope things work out well for your son in the new school.
Thanks Dividened FIREman. I’m surprised how many of us are pro private school. We feel lucky.
I’m so sorry to hear what has happened to your son. I wonder if he will understand this bigger lesson about the power that money has given you to help him. It may just inspire him to be as generous to someone in the next generation. Your story really makes me think about yet another reason to strive to earn and save.
Also, it sounds like you are raising a fine young man. Kind, sweet and caring. I’m glad to hear that.
Trying to raise a fine young man. Lucky he mostly takes after his mother!
Sorry to hear about your son’s troubles. Hope he’s ok.
FI gives you the freedom to consider other routes for your son. We were in a similar position with our youngest 2 sons at school, although fortunately bullying was not the issue. Mrs FU has just written a post on this very subject if you’re interested.
I’m sure you’ll make the right decisions for your son.
all the best
Thanks for your response. We are actively engaging the school on this issue. But to have choices is nice!
This is what keeps us working and pulling in the bucks. It gives us the financial power to pull some strings. If we go part time or retire early it will limit our financial resources for this sort of thing, helping the kids. Is this crazy?
Yep, Ironic. Yet true!
What ever happened with your son? This incident sounds horrifying, and your son sounds lovely.