Yesterday's article, where I talk about how important it is for financial literacy to be taught, inspired me to write today's article, where I'll go over how I had none of it.
I was born in a communist family, and I spent my childhood in a social housing neighborhood.
This past sentence alone already tells you how much I got to learn about money and business growing up.
My father was a member of the communist party, and my whole family was to the left.
Money is the root of all evil.
Businessmen are corrupt and evil.
Successful people are inherently greedy and jealous.
These are some of the ideas I grew up exposed to...
...but my favorite comics character wasn't Spiderman, it was Uncle Scrooge.
But it wasn't his vault full of coins I admired, it was the fact that each story would commonly happen in one of his business.
I remember his frozen foods business, auto parts garage, treasure hunting ventures, and so on...
...I was different.
Here is a rundown of how I slowly turned away from the ideals I was exposed to while growing up.
Growing Up In a Social Housing Neighborhood:
"Affordable living spaces made available by the generous state..." the first home my parents ever owned.
I was born in a social housing neighborhood with tiny apartments and a very different set of neighbors.
My front neighbor was in jail for murder;
My other neighbors all had the strangest personalities... you can imagine the mix in those places;
I learned how to pick a lock at 6 years old;
I learned to never offend anyone unless I wanted to seriously get in trouble;
I measured my words and actions... nobody was to say that person I was talking to wasn't crazy or downright dangerous.
Having that said, I fondly remember my childhood as I had lots of adventures... running free in that neighborhood was an experience that either scarred you for life or you enjoyed it - I enjoyed it as I was lucky, and believe me it all came down to luck as I dodged a few close bullets.
Regardless of all of this, people there had no clue about money, and the ideas those people had of business... let's just say those are career paths I'm glad I didn't follow.
So, I never learned about anything related to finances and business - and that's partially why I know I want to teach my kids all about those things.
If I didn't spend most of my life in ignorance, I could be so ahead right now it isn't even funny.
Growing Up in a Communist Family: "Capital is Immoral and Wrong"
My family was made up of full-fledged members of the Communist Party, or sympathizers at the very least.
My father was an important figure during his youth, being invited to study in the USSR in order to further the party's goals here.
The family always focused on the workers, of course, and my father's friends always went on and on about all the typical:
Money is Evil;
Rich People are Evil and Cruel;
Successful People are Enslavers;
Successful People Earn From Our Misery.
...etc, etc!
I remember being a kid, waving a communist flag and singing, shouting the party's name!
At the same time, I was counting my coins at home with my calculator... and dreaming of being rich.
But I didn't know I wanted to be rich... because I wanted to have a lot of money but the idea I had of rich people was that they worked others, treated them badly, and smoked a cigar (literally my idea at the time).
But I grew up, and I joined a business school... and at the same time, a miracle happened.
My Father: My Role Model and a Very Smart Man!
I am very proud of my father, something you maybe didn't think I'd say since he represented a lot of what I consider to be evil as of now - communism, control, restraint on financial liberties, and so on.
But, my father is a GENIUS!
You see, no matter how prominent he was becoming in the party, no matter how others shouted mottos, he EVOLVED.
He started seeing behind the narrative and started seeing most of the things were immoral.
Fortunately for him, he was a very hard worker as well, so his boss raised him to partner and, just like that, my father went from communist proletariat to business owner.
We got a house of our own away from that crazy neighborhood and we stepped up on the social hierarchy, becoming MIDDLE-CLASS!
How exciting!
But, my father didn't know much about business, he didn't learn enough and he learned late.
I was in my teens when this happened, so I already was close to going to college and didn't get financially literate.
I went to study Marketing and Business Administration, and that was when I started learning economics, accounting, and the whole shebang.
My father wasn't a communist now, but he still was on the left, and now I was on the right as I was all for financial liberty and capitalism.
To this day, this is how my life is:
Every weekend, when we get together at dinner and politics or economics comes into play, I argue alone for capitalism.
My father calls me a "righty" and, despite knowing what I say is true, keeps telling me I'm wrong.
I hope I can keep on arguing with him for at least two decades more... you see, I love him dearly for everything he is and what he accomplished.
He was dealt a bad hand and manage to give me a hand that was slightly better.
He grew up a communist with nothing.
I grew up in a family of communists with nothing until my teens, then I became middle class, son to a business owner.
I hope my kids get an even better hand.
When I tell you guys I want to be a millionaire and that I'm working non-stop for it every single day, day in and day out...
...know that my true wish is to become a man my son can be proud of.
I want to be a man who can set an example and a man like my father.
Cheers!
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