The money and age connection

The Nation Free

"Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take of themselves,” is something my granduncle lives by. He believes in saving every cent for a future none of us have been promised. Whenever he meets us, he inquires about our savings. We lie and tell him we make sure that not a single cent goes to waste.

The reason I can’t save money is simple. I do not like money. Whenever I talk about my ideals and beliefs, people tell me I can have such beliefs only because I’m still too young. They tell me that ten years from now, I wouldn’t be able to live by things that I believe in now. Maybe they can say such things because they’ve been there and done that. Maybe years ago, they too had dreams, they too had beliefs. However, life came in the way and they were forced to forego those beliefs. They think that my age, and the fact that life hasn’t made us deal with serious blows keeps us from being realistic. However, we aren’t dreamers because we are young. We have all these beliefs because we are invincible.

“When adults say, “Teenagers think they are invincible” with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don’t know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are.” Looking for Alaska by John Green.

So we can still afford to have a bucket list or New Year resolutions because we are still young enough to dream. I can’t remember what the rest of my ten resolutions were, but one was to make a new friend and maintain that friendship. For a 30-year-old, this may seem like a silly resolution. Yet, at 19, I can still afford to have such goals in my life. I don’t need to aim for the highest skies. I can choose the stars I want, and aim for them.

Being young means that we have no need for money. Our parents give us everything we need and there is no need to worry about the future.  Thus, I don’t follow my granduncle’s words. I don’t save, and I give as much as I can. This isn’t something I learnt by myself. But, I’ve watched my parents and family give as much as they can throughout my life.

So I give, not because I want to make sure my karma is all good. Giving can’t be a selfish act. Yet, when you are older you can’t give as you please because you have a family to take care of, duties and obligations. Life stops you from giving. This is why we must give while we are young. All hearts melt when a young boy walks up, selling camphor, or when an old man holds his palm out for some coins. Yet, the hearts of young people melt more than those of adults. This isn’t because adults are heartless. They have been hardened by age.

This is why we can believe we are invincible. We can still afford to dream, to have our own way. We can still complain about the silliest things. For me, the biggest advantage of being young is being able to forget the future. To forget the pounds that will take care of themselves, simply because we are too young to think about the next decade, or the next year. We can live in the present, and we can only do this when we are young.

This may be idiotic thinking. I may be digging my own grave. Maybe I will someday look back at life and wish I had listened to my granduncle. I would wish I had given less and saved more. Yet, for now, I will spend my money on beggars and camphor selling children. I will spend and even waste my money on food and books. I will forget about the future and what tomorrow holds. I will do all this, because for now, I’m invincible.