There is a thin line between self-enjoyment and rational thinking.
When young, it’s always about having a good time, but there are times when you need to question yourself about the amount of money you spend on pleasure vis-a-vis protecting your earnings.
Like all services and commodities, entertainment comes at a fee that’s also become very expensive, especially if you want to be in the VIP section.
Take carnival, for example, dominated by ladies (especially young mothers) who would spend large amounts on costumes and going to the various fetes, but come the reopening of school every year they flock by the hundreds and thousands at the various constituency offices, looking for their constituency representatives to give them financial support for books and uniforms for their children.
Granted, government ministers should help if they can, but not be bombarded because of the bad decisions some make.
Every other day is another fete, another vibe, another bon-tan, but it takes money to partake and participate and for most of the service providers it’s all about profits.
Our society has a lot of money-making modules, a lot of get-rich-quick schemes, but if you do not set your priorities right, you can spend your hard-earned salaries purely on fun, with few benefits or returns.
The old concepts of “saving for a rainy day” or “planning for your future” or for “old age” seems to be not adhered to, and because of that many are caught with their pants down, not realizing that drawing the line between today and tomorrow can land you in sorrow before tomorrow.
It is okay to be involved, get “in the groove” so to speak, but there comes a time in life when, the many friends you spent your money on or with having fun, are never there when you are really in need.
As an artiste, there’s nothing I love more than good entertainment, but age brings reason and you have to take stock of your earnings and how to modify your life-style and not to be always going with the flow and the trend and getting caught behind (like in cricket), left without when it matters most. I have long realized that sometimes, it’s better to flow with the slow.
Another area of spending is buying vehicles, bikes and renting extravagant apartments and spending wads of money at social gatherings, but some of these expensive assets you neglect and do not care for them or consider that if they are damaged it comes at a cost. Or, you don’t foresee having your own one day is important for your future prosperity or for your own peace of mind, or that if not, Crappo will smoke your pipe.
Anyway, all that said and hopefully learned, be happy and have fun. But don’t forget what you waste, or what you spend foolishly, will vanish — and in most cases cannot be replaced.
Showing-off is cool, living like the Joneses is cool, but not planning for a successful tomorrow or for life after retirement can become a nightmare.