Scary Conversations

Over the last few weeks, I've been having more and more conversations with my friends about money. When I talk about writing this book and the money I've kept from going out the door, they all look at me entirely different. They look at me as though I have some kind of secret knowledge that they don't have access too.

I used to look at people who had their financial act together in a very similar way. The more people give me that look of panic when I discuss personal finance, even in vague terms, the more worried I get about my friends and family.. and the community in general. EVERYONE is talking about the economy, but in all of those conversations, I have not yet talked to one person in my daily life that says "yep, I have all my finances handled and I'm prepared."

The desk staff that my doctor's office have asked me to bring in my book when it's finished, they'd be interested in buying it. I was chatting with the ER nurse that cared for YL12 on Wednesday about the economy and finance and my book, and gave her my blog address right before she gave me YL12's discharge papers.

I'm walking a very narrow line right now, in regards to my own personal belief system. I believe that I can make a difference in the lives of people around me. I believe that I have gathered, with the help of my blogger friends here, and the library, and the news articles, and personal experiences, fabulous information to share with many people. But on the other side of that line is my worry that I'm just jumping on the bandwagon to be just another opportunist, looking to make a fast buck from the panic around me.

I know there is nothing wrong with earning a living from doing a service for people. In fact, that's pretty much the ONLY way to make a living. Even as I write this, I remember all of the major points from Nice Girls Don't Get Rich by Lois Frankel, Ph.D. and her basic point is that women think that Doing Good... and doing WELL are mutually exclusive. I'm trying to break that mindset. It's hard... but dangit... I'm going to provide something that most of the people I know desperately NEED... and I'm not going to feel guilty for earning a living providing that service.

Mostly...