I used to like watching the numbers in my bank account get bigger. But with first salaries, you get a new kind of power. A very important kind of power; being able to buy things for yourself that your parents would never spend a dime on. In my case, the things I most want to buy are lots and lots of books.
My parents have no problem spending on clothes or CDs. But they have never understood my desire to own, not just borrow and read books. I like the heft of a book and the sense of ownership you get, especially with hard covers. I hate taking books out from the library, which everyone has already molested, with the poor things ravished by various stains and particles. Yes, I get very territorial about books. I flip whenever my brother touches any of mine.
Still, you do get a new kind of unpleasant feeling as well. I keep thinking “This is worth one day of teaching a pack of rabid boys.”, or “Wow, I have to coach for seven hours before I can buy that.” (I am still buying these particular items becase I have been wanting them for a long time. And the very thought of blowing money on bitter alcohol thingies when I would rather drink much cheaper and sweeter non-alcoholic thingies anyway drives me nuts. The only cocktails that I have acquired a taste for (but still won’t drink unless you buy them for me) are margaritas and strawberry daiquiris.
