Cobra

I recently, read yesterday, received my separation papers from my current employer.  Included in which were the myriad of typical forms; a review of the contract I signed when hired, an agreement to sign ensuring my continued confidentiality and my Cobra paperwork to extend my health benefits beyond my time of employment.  What a great program, right?  What a noble thing to offer, a truly humanitarian gesture.

Then I read a little further, the price of this magnificent opportunity is five hundred dollars, per month.  How outrageous!  I, a non-smoking, 27 year old male, in good physical shape and I have to make a car payment, and a car payment for a 2008 BMW 328i Sedan, for this sense of security.  This, as most things do, got me thinking…

Security.  Kind of a funny concept.  I look around and see people drudge to work everyday, fight through the monotony and sifting through the unimportant all to bring home a paycheck.  A close friend and I were having a conversation about the future and he told me that his plan was to move into a more meager apartment with his SO, hopefully get this new job and retreat one day to an island somewhere.  I naturally asked why he didn’t just retreat to the island now and get a job?  To which he aptly retorted that he needed money to live there.  Essentially, at least to me, he needed the security of having everything setup for him financially before he would follow his dream.

There is nothing wrong with that, he does not have to feel compelled to throw everything down and run away to his personal island paradise, but is this lack of financial security the sole reason he doesn’t take off now?  It seemed that way to me, maybe if he could follow someone else, I guess it’s not really important.  I just find it fascinating in a weird way and here’s my thinking : Money is a construct of man and society.  We not only print the money and press the coins but we are the architect of the very concept of money and yet we find ourselves at it’s whim.  It seems to be just another way that we are victims of our own consciousness.