Your Parents
With any luck your parents stayed married to each other, but it was 50/50 you could have more than one mom or dad in your life. You probably lived in more than one place as well. More than likely both your parents worked.
You may have lived in more than one state or city within your home state. Your parents were taught that they could make one major investment, their home. Many over bought thinking they were looking into the future. It took so much of their time to support their lifestyle, their families fell apart.
Holidays became one more circus. Family reunions at the Grandparents was such a growing number of strangers each year. Families were getting too far removed from the feelings of family closeness. 50% of the people were new each year.
Theirs were the days of things. Credit card debt. Large house payments. Two or three automobiles. Maybe a lake home and a boat, hardly ever used.
Most things wear out or fall in value during their lives. Jobs were never really what they wanted, either limited opportunity for growth or just boring.
You met lots of people as a child but moved right after you developed a list of friends and activities.
People were still taught to believe their homes were the best investment they could make. It helped them get more credit and more credit and more credit and then, sell off at discounted prices all that was not sacred.
Lessons learned, real estate is for the professionals to sell on the basis of being a good place to live. Stock options could go down as well as up.
Stock was purchased for them at work. Dreams of retirement, if it was vested from day one.
Here we are. They are still here, not much they believed in has proven to work the way it was presented. Democrats and Republicans lie. The Pastor has a mistress. The Priest has problems. The country is in trouble. War prospects are high, with our land and homes in the direct line of attack.
Things are looking bad, hope and change has not delivered much hope but it has changed the way we look at politics.
Lessons learned:
A house is not an investment. (If you live in it)
The Stock market goes up and down.
Gold goes up and down.
Oil goes up and down.
Commodities go up and down.
Timing is everything, get out in front of the wave. But not too far in front. Stress over timing is an everyday chore. Every one feels guilty, many are living a lie, knowing that any day the lid can blow off.
Pressure, stress, heart problems and life problems.
Would like to quit, but they cannot.