Uncertainty

It is very interesting that people don't understand that life is really one uncertainty after another.  In fact, how boring would it be to have our lives like the movie, "Groundhog Day."  I had a student of mine tell me that there was no risk in investing.  I guess there is no risk in trying to develop new friendships either.    I am not saying that we crave change, but to not understand or try to, is what's bad.

In a staff meeting years ago, one of the guys was so resistant to change that it was apparent that he was the only guy that wouldn't go along with a change we needed to make.  After the meeting I spoke with our Chief of Staff and he said in those cases, we need to think of ourselves as being on a journey and those that won't come along are like the settlers that stopped in Missouri to farm instead of going west with the wagon trains.  There was an old Military saying, "Haul Ass and Bypass."  We would just let him have his say and continue on down the road.  Consensus doesn't have to be 100%.

I just finished a book by Clive Cussler and one of the major characters had all the facts on how dangerous it was to travel.  Clearly she knew that the car trip to the airport was a lot more dangerous than flying but she would ride in a car and not fly.  She knew the odds on an event happening but would never apply those odds.  It made for an interesting book but a scary way to live. 

I look back now and find it funny that while in Vietnam, I wouldn't play cards for money.  There I was taking the biggest risk of my life and yet I wouldn't chance it with my money.  I watched some epic games played where one Captain would lose several hundred dollars and have to borrow some money back to make it to payday.  I guess that was one chance I just didn't want to make. 

I saw a lady putting some gas in her Prius and told her about my brother's Prius that has over 200,000 miles on it.  She asked if he had replaced the battery pack yet.  I told her no, it runs fine.  She said that she leases her Prius just because it costs $3,000 to replace the battery pack.  She knows that the Prius overall has the lowest cost of operation and that leasing is not a good bet but, she continues to lease.  Barb and I buy a car and generally drive the wheels off of it.  We save our money and use it as a back up to the cost of a new one.

Way back in the past, Barb would let the checking account grow to cover her uncertainty.  I find it interesting that the amount she "grows" it to has itself grown until I get nervous about the amount we have in one account.  We have started to transfer money into different accounts in the local Credit Union.  I keep telling her that there is an upper limit on how much in total the FDIC or the Feds cover in any one institution.

Speaking of risk, what the heck are you doing with your investments right now.  The stock market is at an all time high and I trust it like I do a simple balloon.  It won't be full forever and as long as the baby boomers are pounding money in it for their retirement, it will look full.  As for me, I am really not saving any more for retirement.  I have my retirement income fixed for now and haven't touched what I have saved.  I may not until the time when I turn 69 1/2 and am forced to take out some by the IRS.  That is just so I will have to pay taxes on something.  Then I will be faced on what the heck will I do with the money left over?  OK, I will pay the taxes on the rest of my income.

Feeding the animals is one way I reduce my uncertainty

One certainty in all of this mess is that sitting here on the computer will eat time from my non busy schedule.  Guess I might as well do something worthwhile.

MUD