"They Want What They Want When They Want It"

The other night, I was talking with a friend of mine (one of those people that you used to be pretty good friends with, but now you're kinda friends in name only. Like I'm sure some of you never cancelled your Shaun Cassidy fan club memberships, so you're still a part of that group - and I thought I had problems). For the purposes of this conversation and to protect her identity, I will hereinafter refer to her as "Snagglepuss".
Debt Daddy
Snagglepuss and I had actually dated a few decades back - in those days, politics rarely came up - sex was much more interesting. But now politics does come up (since we're no longer having sex) and it seems my friend has turned into quite the Rush Limbaugh lover. Apparently, Rush had been talking on his show about the fact that the government is bailing out people who fell victim to the whole sub-prime mortgage debacle, and this has made Rush Limbaugh angry. And whatever makes Rush angry seems to make Snagglepuss just as angry. She was shocked and appalled at the unfairness of it all - "I've worked for everything I have! When I wanted to buy a house, I did my homework! I didn't fall for those ridiculous programs! If the government is gonna bail out stupid people, why don't they reward me for being smart?! The problem with those people is that they want what they want when they want it!"

I don't think she had any clue that she was, at that very moment, talking with one of "those people". Not that the government or anyone else is bailing me out anytime soon; but apparently, I was one of those stupid people. I tried to explain to Snagglepuss that, as a 41 year old single woman with no children, a house, a paid for car, a good job and a trust fund, she might not be able to understand the plight of a Dad who just wants better for his family, or of a person that may have had to carry two mortgages for six months or so because a house didn't sell and so may have been thrilled to have found a mortgage program to help him out, despite the negatives.

It really didn't matter what I said; her mind was made up. "Nope; they want what they want when they want it - that's all there is to it."

On my way home, I kept coming back to that statement. About halfway to my house, indignance gave way to self examination and I came to the conclusion that, at least as far as I was concerned, she was right. I do want what I want when I want it. It's funny to me that when Rush and Snagglepuss apply that trait to a person and their finances, it's a bad thing. Take that same trait and slap it into a corporate executive - we call him a go-getter who hits the ground running. It's all about perspective, I guess.

So, is wanting what you want when you want it a bad thing? Nope. As far as I'm concerned, that's how and why shit gets done. It's a protest chant, for crying out loud -

"What do we want?

(insert whatever it is you and the other yelling protesters want here)

When do we want it?

Now!"

Desire. Determination. Drive. That's what wanting what you want when you want it is. Wanting what you want when you want it is what makes this country great - hell, it's what made this country in the first place (you remember that from history class, right? Thomas Jefferson and the colonists - "What do we want? Independence! When do we want it? Now!! " What; they didn't teach that in your school? Dude, you got robbed).

So, wanting what you want when you want it isn't a bad thing - I think it's more about what you want. If you spend a fortune on beanie babies, or a Lamborghini or PEZ and at the end of the day you can't pay the rent, then yes - unwise financial decision. PEZ bad, rent good.

Now, I will admit, I have bought more than my fair share of PEZ. My bad, no getting around that. But I believe that I and the other debt bloggers are in the midst of a paradigm shift; one where mass consumption and rabid consumerism brought on by a lifetime of exposure to aggresive marketing gives way to an honest, intelligent analysis of need. One where what we want is truly what we want, not what we have been led to believe that we want and indeed, must have. We're thinking outside the box, dropping out of the consumer grid - We're living like no one else so later we can live like no one else.

What do I want?

No Debt.

When do I want it?

Now.

God Bless America.