first-of-the-month

I've paid bills since I was 19. It was kind of fun then - I had my parents behind me, and roommates, and it just seemed like an exercise in being grown-up. Apartment rent, utilities, phone. That was about it. There were only a few transient concerns about whether I had enough in the bank to pay the monthly obligations. It was thrilling to be so close to being grown-up.

Over forty years later, it is the last day of the month, and tomorrow I shall sit down and gather the rent, utilities, psuedo-utilities, cell-phone, car insurance, storage unit rent, and credit card bills together. It's a bit of a sweat, times are tight, and I worry for two days each month as I complete what sometimes seems more like an ordeal than a simple chore. Then, I live frugally, and I set aside financial worries for the rest of the month.

Twelve times a year for forty years. Twelve times a year for millions of people.

It could be better; it could be worse. We count our blessings.