I’m easily distracted. I’m the human personification of the popular cliche about the dog who loses all focus with the shouting of the word “squirrel!” I am interested in everything, with a gleeful love affair with the world, enjoying sociology, art, and interacting with people, as well as nature, cities, and rocks, among other things. I have come to understand the interconnectedness of everything and enjoy exploring the things I discover, wondering what contributed to their present form or if they have a story to tell.

But as I look more closely, I can’t help but realize that my beautiful world, our beautiful world, is sad and troubled. History shows that our human and collective flaws have been with us since the beginning of time. There will always be adverse events and actions, but fortunately, both renowned and everyday people have saved us from complete destruction through extensive reforms and small, heartfelt actions. I see this as a matter of physics, a study in energy. We continue to infuse bits of light into the universe; perhaps we can maintain a positive existence and prevent it from falling below zero into total negativity. Every smile, kind word, and helping gesture counts.

So, I’ve become focused on one thing: financial literacy. My fascination with sociology and economics, combined with a passion, has driven me toward this goal, and I have also taught elementary school in rural New York State. One morning after one of our winter storms, one of my students proclaimed, “That was quite a storm we had last night!”

I agreed, and he replied, “When I woke up, I had snow on my bedspread.”

After I retired 11 years ago, I worked with some of my state representatives to initiate a financial education program in our school. However, we were told that due to state mandates, there was no time for such a program during the school day.

I’m trying again, working with my local League of Women Voters and The NYS Rural Caucus. I took all I had seen and learned over the past few years and narrowed it down to ten concise points as presented below.

I am frustrated by the present state of the world, as we all are. I have decided to focus on one issue that I feel will have a positive impact. We have to start moving forward. This is a summary of my research.   1 0 Insights Concerning the Need for Financial Literacy   (1) There are many excellent financial literacy programs available. For example, one offers the following: Grades 4-6, Spending and Saving, Income and Careers, Credit and Borrowing, and Building Wealth. Grades 7-10, Entrepreneurial Exploration (using one’s interest and talents to start a business, writing a business plan), Grades 9-12, Investing Basics   (2) The current plan for financial literacy education in NYS is insufficient. In January 2021, a mandate was passed for a pass/fail class in the senior year of high school. More is needed!   (3) Our citizens need the skills to avoid poverty “Between the ages of 20 and 75, nearly 60 per cent of Americans will experience living for at least 1 year below the official poverty line while three-fourths of Americans will encounter poverty or near- poverty.”-Poorly Understood, What America Gets Wrong about Poverty. The authors point out that unexpected events, like “losing a job, families splitting up, or medical and health emergencies, all have the potential to start a downward spiral into poverty.”  Additionally, our current economic inflation puts a strain on our citizens.   (4) A long negative stigma has been associated with the poor. Here is a widely held cultural belief that being poor is an individual human failing, that poverty is due “to lack of motivation, questionable morals, and so on.”  While studying the history of my area, I was appalled by the far-reaching impact of this way of thinking, as those without property and means were sent to asylums. This was a common practice right into the 1900s. ttp://theautonomoustraveler.com/2022/01/16/insanity-the-best-money-can-buy/   (5) Is our education system based on the factory model, emphasizing producing workers rather than innovators, entrepreneurs, and effective participants in our economy? Robert Kiyosaki 2019 – The Speech That Broke the Internet!!! KEEP THEM BROKE!!  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azq0S0DKS50)    (6) There has been a long history of manipulating citizens financially. In a school textbook called Elementary Community Civics by R.O. Hughes, published in 1922, students were taught to budget and save. Buying government savings bonds was encouraged, and stock buying was mentioned, accompanied by a warning to be cautious of “get-rich-quick” schemes. 1950 marked the beginning of credit card use, ushering in instant debt in our wallets. This year, NYS initiated the practice of online gambling, which furthers the unsound financial practices of our citizens, along with scratch-off tickets   (7)  We live in a society that aggressively encourages spending. Advertising has evolved into a highly sophisticated manipulation of spending habits. Advertisers can even target potential customers by monitoring online usage.   (8) We have a growing wealth gap in our country. This is evident in “opportunity hoarding, ” which makes it harder for others to rise to the top. These unfair mechanisms include zoning laws, college admission procedures, and allocation of internships.”-Richard V. Reeves, Dream Hoarders, How the American Upper Middle Class is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why that is a Problem and What to Do about It.  (9) Poverty perpetuates despair. In a review of 273 studies of the US and several other countries by Lee Ellis and James McDonald, the authors found strong evidence of a relationship between criminal offending and low income, low occupational status, and low educational attainment.” from Poorly Understood   (10) Financial Education alone will not solve our society’s problems, but it can be a fantastic, positive, nonpartisan start. We have to begin to move forward. I would love to hear about any further research. Please share your thoughts.

I’m getting older, and time is passing. This once shy and scared little girl is a bit louder now, newly focused, and no longer embarrassed to be persistent. All I have is my voice, and I’m trying my darnedest to be heard. I will continue to try to put a bit of energy into the world and hope it helps to keep the light alive.