The New Indentured Servant

Through my many travelings I have come across a variety of people that have helped me see the bigger picture in life.  While I was in another city I saw an older woman in a trolley with a male friend she was homeless and missing teeth.  I knew she was homeless since the trolley was free and a magnet for the homeless community while I observed her I saw her talking to the driver and her male friend they pretty much do the same routine everyday.  I like the fact that she was having a good time despite her poverty in her laughter at that moment I saw authentic happiness.  Then as I looked out the window I remembered this young lady I met in school a few years ago.  She was working on a second degree as her first degree proved to be a bad investment.  So now she was taking out loans and maxing her credit cards to pay for her education.  She was also living with a man who she stated was awesome yet he had her working 3 P/T jobs with very little clothes, food and no health insurance, I thought "boy isn't she lucky".

The point is I have never met anyone as stressed out as my former classmate.  I rarely saw her smile and when she did I did not see real happiness not like the homeless woman in the trolley.  Although she had a place to live, credit cards and a degree she was worth -$90,000 and counting.  The way I see it she may be repaying loans and credit card debt for life.  It is like some college students are the new indentured servants of our times but they will never repay their debt.  On the other hand the homeless woman may be broke but she is worth the $10-15 dollars in her pocket plus a cigarette and a lottery ticket.  Then I understood why she laughed and was experiencing periods of elation and happiness she is financially worth more than my classmate she doesn't need to worry about repaying a massive loan.

What can we say to young adults now a days that can make it all better?  We live in a society where the most basic things in life such as health and education are the top reasons that people file for bankruptcy or end up in massive unforgivable debt.