Cell Phone

I found a cell phone on the bus, so I took it home and called the number that said “Pappa”. We made arrangements for him to recuperate the cell phone, and I was thanked relentlessly. When the man came to get the cell phone he insisted on paying me. When politely refusing failed I resorted to shoving the money in his sweater pocket and running up stairs as fast as I could.

I was disappointed that he wanted to pay me. I tried to explain that it was normal to return something that wasn’t mine especially something as important as a cell phone. I hate the feeling that so much is motivated by money. It’s despicable to assign monetary value to life, the environment, and normal community interactions. Where is the humanity in that?

It’s necessary to understand money and basic economics in our society. I know that I have more to learn about economics. Economics isn’t just money, its cost benefit analysis and diminishing returns on all things. I highly recommend “Freakonomics” I don’t believe society nationally or internationally has reached a balance with money. Our relationship to money is skewed and it has poisoned things. Critiques of money are not new, and I’m not interested in offering something else on the topic.

I’m interested in learning economics, learning the critiques, and combining them with ideas of culture and socialization, to encourage a realignment of values.