A lot of people nowadays talk of investing…well, most of my friends do. I actually began about investments in 2005 when I was talking to my former boss, who’s actually 7 years older than I am. He has a wife and a lovely 2 year old daughter, and he’s thinking of investing for their future. He talks about a mortgage, a business of his own, a life insurance, an educational insurance, and of course, a better-paying job.
Of course, I was a young 24 then, and don’t actually care to listen about his bickering about his future. I actually have my own problems then. I rent a small room, I don’t have that many clothes, and I can barely make it through the week with my salary. I was only grateful because I live off with my girlfriend at the time who’s also employed. I eat at her place to get by (boy, what a freeloader, huh?).
A few months later, I left that job. A month after, my former boss left as well. The last I heard of him was that he’s comfortable with his current job and got everything that he told me a few years back. And now, six years removed from that conversation, here I am talking about the same thing with my girlfriend (a better one. I left that girlfriend who helped me, by the way). I begin talking about my own house, my own car, a life insurance, and an educational insurance for our kids someday.
I am proud to say that I already have that house that I dreamed of. Now, I’m thinking of having my own mode of transportation. The commute between my place and my work is brutal, and I think my own vehicle could solve that for me. I begin thinking of buying my own motorcycle.
However, every time I get the funds to buy a motorcycle, or at least set my mind to go to a dealer, something happens along the way. The first time I went to a dealer, but didn’t made the deal. The next day, I heard that a friend of mine died in a freak motorcycle accident. That changed my mind, for a few days. A week after, I talked to another dealer. The next day, right in front of the store of the said dealer, a motorcycle collided with a car. The rider died. That changed my mind again, until last night.
My girlfriend and I were about to cross a pedestrian lane, with a 50-ish lady three steps ahead of us. She was holding a big canvas bag on her left hand and a two big plastic bags of groceries on the other. Suddenly, a red blur went in front of us and white plastics came a-flying. A loud screech, a sickening thud, and a chorus of ‘ohhh!”s later, we found ourselves witness of a tragedy, except it wasn’t that much of a tragedy. What happened was the red motorcycle, running for 80 – 100 kph, hit the lady’s plastics of groceries, and sent them flying through the air. The speedster hit his brakes, and his passenger behind him dropped to the road, head first. The passenger was about 50 as well. The ohhhs were from the people who were relieved when an approaching car almost hit the head of the passenger.
I was so mad at the rider, because he should have slowed down, knowing he’s approaching a pedestrian lane. I was also mad because the lady ahead of us didn’t press charges. I was mad with the passenger because she was only holding her head in pain and didn’t berate her driver for driving recklessly. I was exclaiming at the top of my voice how it was the fault of the driver, when my girlfriend yanked me back and told me to stop, and thank our luck. We were not hit, although a step ahead would have, we were lucky.
That made me realize, I really should step up on this investment thing and start investing. My life, or the life of my loved ones could end in that one instant. A fraction of a millisecond, a blink of an eye. Everything will be gone *snaps* that fast. It made me rethink my life, and what should I do with it. The cost of my life and my loved ones don’t know any value, or any amount, because some people around you don’t give a rat’s ass how much your life costs. You will be the judge of that, and the people that you leave behind.
Oh, and I stopped my fetish with motorcycles. Now, I’m looking for a car.
MidLife Crisis 