The price of your soul

Most my childhood years and some of my young adult years(until I joined the military) I lived in this rural, backwoods, 1 light town that I would wager you never heard of before.

Once I joined the military I then moved everywhere yet stayed no where long enough to really amount to anything.  However, I picked up tidbits of life a long the way.  All of those experiences however jaded through the eyes of a sailor, has brought me to where I am today.  Living in the heart of the United States.  With the military as well as thousands upon thousands of other people packed like sardines into their belief of city and urban living.

So here we are at the heart of the problem or as the media portrays it, the solution.  The social ladder.

Everyone out there enjoys activities that the consider fun. Everyone has activities they must complete in order to have fun. If time travel was even remotely possible, I'd say travel to before there was electricity, before cars, before you needed to work 3 jobs to pay rent in down town Huston, Santa Monica, or Boston.  What is your soul worth? 2am pizza delivery?  How about your 600sq/ft apartment overlooking yet another apartment complex?  We just don't stop to think about the fact that those people who work that overnight delivery job is to afford their own studio apartment.

Honestly why do we sell ourselves so cheap?  Is the addiction to the convinces enough to convince ourselves the negatives aren't that bad?  

When growing up in small town in Maine the only thing your doing at 2am is sleeping.  With a housing density of only about 65 houses per square mile you can take a breath with out smelling the neighbors trash or hearing that Yorkie-poo barking in the unit above you all hours of the night. Compare that to Boston at about 5560 houses per sq/mi, or New York City with about 11,740 houses per sq/mi, talk about crowded.

In Manhattan NY, the average rent is about $4,000 yet the annual income is a mere $66,700.  With an approximate monthly income after taxs and such of $3600.  Last time I did math that leaves them in the red around $400.  People have to eat too.  The average American adult eats around $150 a month or more depending on if they enjoy eating out.  Transportation costs, the list goes on.
In Sanford ME, the average rent is just under $1000 and the average income is right around $33,000. With an approximate months income after taxes and such of $1775.  That leaves them in the green about $800 bucks a month. 

You guys are probably scratching your head and wondering what any of this has to do with anything.  I think that this has everything to do with everything.  Your only worth as much as you think you are.  Spending every last dime to stay "keeping up with the Jones's" does nothing but fill your life with anxiety.  When is the last time someone said nature doesn't make me relaxed because there is too much stress outside?  I can't say I have ever heard anything close to it before.  My question is simple. Why sell your soul to stay miserable?

"Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy." - Hamlin Garland

Traveling across Maine

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Driving through Massachusetts
                                                                              

Don't forget to take some time and smell the roses.  I hope you enjoyed the read.

~Daved1058







Sources:
www.bankrate.com
www.lendingtree.com