I am very excited to announce that a 19 y/o kid I have been mentoring for a couple of years is going to be starting his first job this Tuesday at my company. 

We have been spending time in the past few days talking about the pay he will receive and how he needs to budget for his new apartment, food, clothing, retirement, tithing etc...  It's been alot of fun helping someone look past what they are going to do today and actually realize it is important to plan for tomorrow.

I want to share with you an "ah ha" moment in this kids life today.  Like I said, we have been talking about how to budget for his pay.  I kept using the term "take home pay" and he finally asked me what that was.  I told him about FICA, Income Tax Withholding and Medicare and how the gov't takes money from his paycheck to provide for government services.  This blew his mind.  He honestly had no clue that the money that his mom got ("her check") came from the workers in this country.  He just assumed it came from "the government".  I explained that all kinds of taxes pay for many important things we count on everyday.  Roads, police, fire, military etc... and yes, for his mom's assistance.  

What made this conversation great was that he got the need for taxes, but that he got pissed about friends and relatives that (in his words) get their "check" and blow it in a couple of days on drugs.  I told him that yes, it's right not to be happy about that.  It's his money they are blowing.  But, I told him that some folks actually need assistance and that it's right to help them.  I also told him he has a responsibility to pass on the breaks he is getting to others.  Honestly, all of our conversations are about responsibility.

 I am full of hope......