being frank

One of my guilty pleasures is to discover new terms that writers come up with while espousing their thoughts within a given publication. Some aim to be expressive or ironic, while others just go all out in an attempt to create new words or phrases that will hopefully take flight on social media and thus extend their relevance or possibly their financial future. I have been guilty of this creative endeavor on several occasions, though admittedly it was mostly while engaged in creating humorous acronyms and embedding them within serious-minded articles or publications (Facilities and Restoration Teams – still a fave.) But today I am coining a phrase to see how it fares on the wings of public opinion – that being monetary minimalism. Before the judgmental folks out there have a chance to load up their pitchfork emojis, let me share with you the impetus behind this phase.

In an article I posted many years ago, I wrote about a conversation I had with my beloved that addressed how words are sometimes referred to as ammunition when used in support of a line of thought during a spirited discussion, be it personal or professional. That little exchange led me down a circuitous path towards an observation I had a few years before then, when many companies and advertising agencies were revisiting descriptive terms to give them a greater visual or expressive punch; a little bit of literary oomph, if you will. Today that practice has risen to ludicrous heights. If you don’t think that’s the case, check out how many varieties of engineers the average workplace has in its employ. These hyper-extended euphemisms started to flourish everywhere. I mean, who wants to be called a garbageman when you can be a senior sanitation engineer? George Carlin had a great routine on the use of the word hero, and how it was used so liberally that its meaning had become diluted. True heroes could no longer be identified and praised for their brave or selfless acts when two-thirds of the planet bore the same emblem. Enter super heroes. Special terms are there for special reasons; that’s why they’re special.

So on the heels of that thought process, I give you monetary minimalism; yet another contribution to the world of imaginative dialects for introspective observers tagging society. In today’s world where no one wishes to be ugly, old, out of shape, unloved, unwanted, misunderstood, disregarded or poor, monetary minimalism offers a perfect solution for at least part of the global population. Being a monetary minimalist means that you and your financial resources have, shall we say, a somewhat awkward relationship. It could be because you have little regard for money, or perhaps you and opportunities for financial growth don’t run in the same circles. Whether it’s because you are uncanny or unlucky, the universe just doesn’t see the need for you to have any appreciable capital. Perhaps material goods are the fodder that weigh you down; they divert you from a more enlightened path. Or you’re simply horrible with money and cannot hang onto it long enough because your sense of self-worth is inextricably tied to an object or position that conveys your perceived value in life. Regardless of the reason, you now have monetary minimalist to wield freely. Use it as a way to smooth out those annoying social perspectives that give everyone the wrong idea. Like a remedy for bad lighting, monetary minimalist allows you to cast a softer and more flattering light on who or what you are. It delivers more luster for your social audacity or challenges and less glare to accentuate those shadows of formidable underachievement.

Yes, monetary minimalist is stupid. Whether you are poor due to circumstances beyond your control, compelled to live an ascetic lifestyle, or the embodiment of a fool and his money maxim, you have a right to be. Opinions are nothing more than the viewpoints of another individual or entity. They are neither conclusive nor infallible, nor are they an indicator for how you should be identified or live your life. Even the opinions of experts are still nothing more than that – opinions. Their observations are based on knowledge or experience. The main reason for their purported weight is that there are theories or quantifiable skills backing them up that give their opinions more weight than that of, let’s say, your Uncle Ralph. But whether you are a Rhodes Scholar or a road runner cartoon fan, the fact remains that opinions are nothing more than personal observations and should be weighed in for what they are, as they are, and from whom they are. In the end, we should judge one another by what our hearts and senses perceive; for the dreams, aspirations, passions, problems, and grace that drive every individual we chance to meet.

Many of the world’s most famous philosophers, artists, scientists, visionaries and educators were once labeled as shiftless, lazy, irresponsible and even dangerous. The majority of these folks survived because of their inner beliefs and tenacity; not because of a label or euphemism. Everyone should be permitted to pursue their beliefs and dreams and allow the results of their actions (or inaction) to be the ultimate arbiters that pass judgement in the annals of history. Our responsibility towards each other is not to label but to chronicle; to allow the lessons of the past – not the social tag lines of the day – to guide our observations, reflections and actions. We need to spend less time creating alternate terms for who and what we are and do more to explore the value of who and what we’ve become. If not, well, then you’re just an apathetic subjugating sod hurling opinions to label everyone. Please, try not to personify that acronym.