"...to be high, live low, stay young forever..."

"The modern picture of the artist began to form: The poor, but free spirit, plebeian but aspiring only to be classless, to cut himself forever free from the bonds of the greedy bourgeoisie, to be whatever the fat burghers feared most, to cross the line wherever they drew it, to look at the world in a way they couldn't see, to be high, live low, stay young forever -- in short, to be the bohemian." —Thomas Wolfe

Not that I really consider myself an artist, just that I've always been disinterested in money. Which in American society more or less labels me a commie-homo-babykilling-witch. Those of you who know me well won't be surprised by the following numbers.

From a recent Social Security missive:
Your Earnings Record
1987 — $671
1988 — $0 —Senior year in HS. Didn't work 'cuz I was popped for 'Criminal Trespass'.
1989 — $1,176
1990 — $8,412
1991 — $12,073
1992 — $16,589
1993 — $17,479
1994 — $20,315
1995 — $19,762 —Wife left me 'cuz of my suicidal depression. Quit my factory job.
1996 — $8,054 —Part time at Crown Books, again.
1997 — $14,199
1998 — $20,238 —Store Manager at Crown, before they shut down.
1999 — $23,525 —Fired from 'Barnes & Noble' for being 12 minutes late.
2000 — $17,216 —Temp jobs for next 4 years.
2001 — $14,523
2002 — $14,091
2003 — $6,919
2004 — $13,300 —Managing Island Video from here on.
2005 — $22,450
2006 — $25,146
2007 — $25,100

So yes, I've never earned more than I have in the last 2 years of my life, and never more than $25,000 per year. Considering that amounts to a 'take home' of around $18,500 per year, and my rent alone is $8,000, you can well imagine how much cash I have to spread about.

On paper it may seem a poor life. But I've never felt the need to sell what I would consider my personal freedoms for a bit more scratch.

Excusing my own laziness? Sure.
Interested in the 'freedom' more income would allow? Not really.
Going to die alone in a pauper's gutter? Most likely.
Forever broke, in basically a stressless existence? Yup.
I can live with that.
Hell, it's only money.