My Personal Affluenza
As a natural resources major I eat, sleep, and breathe environmental problems created by humans. I can think of at least ten natural resource problem faster than the average person could explain global warming. It’s what I love, but the journey to where I am today has not been a smooth one. My personal affluenza is still something I deal with on a day to day base. As a child and a teen I never considered by affluenza as a problem, but as I continue to age I have released the implications of my actions. My journey to reduce my affluenza is a long one, which I feel, is never really over.
In comparison with others in the United States, My family is middle class. I grow up in Littleton Colorado in a house I have never moved out of. As a child, …show more content…
My father and mother did not grow up with an abundance of material objects. In passing, my father tells stories about not being able to own anything nicer than his mother, or how they would have bread and butter at most meals in order to stretch the food they had. No longer in this position, they provided for all their children. I only had to explain a need for an item and they would buy it for me. If a request seemed unreasonable I could save my money to purchase an item. Additionally, by being the middle child in my family, I was in the sweet spot. My parents were more willing to humor my wants and needs to ensure I did not feel middle child syndrome. This resulted in me have a lot of stuff. I had a lot of clothes and other junk I would hide under my bed in order to save it from being thrown away.
My personal affluenza was raging by the time I entered high school. When I got a job at a clothing store I had the ability to spend the money I earned in any way I saw fit. Not having to have to pay for any fundamental needs most of my money would go to food and again, clothing. I would shop at places like H&M and Forever 21 where clothes were cheap so you could buy a lot of them. When they fell apart, because they always would, you could donate them to go by new ones. By the end senior year I spent my money mostly on food and coffee, less on material
In comparison with others in the United States, My family is middle class. I grow up in Littleton Colorado in a house I have never moved out of. As a child, …show more content…
My father and mother did not grow up with an abundance of material objects. In passing, my father tells stories about not being able to own anything nicer than his mother, or how they would have bread and butter at most meals in order to stretch the food they had. No longer in this position, they provided for all their children. I only had to explain a need for an item and they would buy it for me. If a request seemed unreasonable I could save my money to purchase an item. Additionally, by being the middle child in my family, I was in the sweet spot. My parents were more willing to humor my wants and needs to ensure I did not feel middle child syndrome. This resulted in me have a lot of stuff. I had a lot of clothes and other junk I would hide under my bed in order to save it from being thrown away.
My personal affluenza was raging by the time I entered high school. When I got a job at a clothing store I had the ability to spend the money I earned in any way I saw fit. Not having to have to pay for any fundamental needs most of my money would go to food and again, clothing. I would shop at places like H&M and Forever 21 where clothes were cheap so you could buy a lot of them. When they fell apart, because they always would, you could donate them to go by new ones. By the end senior year I spent my money mostly on food and coffee, less on material