BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Do you ever just wonder just to wonder? I have wasted hours, days, weeks, months, and potentially years of my life letting my mind wander into areas that have no relevance to anything. I’ll question anything and look for the “work” (wrestling term for “farse”) in every situation. It’s partially a deep paranoia, partially insightful interest, and partially insanity. I’m not sure if it’s the existentialist in me or the hippy in me, but it’s in me.
The other day I was thinking about the idea of “currency”. The idea of trading a cow for a horse makes conventional sense. I get why there were trades in the old days. Then someone convinced someone that shiny rocks had a value. From there people would trade bits of gold for the things they need. This evolved all the way to today when we’re geared up with cash, change, and plastic. There is a number value to things now and the bigger the number the more cows and horses you can buy. We work, earn, or get a numerical value and that translates to paper with country dignitaries on it. To take it one step farther, that numerical value we “possess” is also digitally placed into the air that we can access with a plastic little card.
I realize I just explained the very basic concept of “money”. I know you’re not stupid and I hope you’re not under the impression that I am. As “hippy” as I sound, I love business. The idea of people making a product of some sort that others want is awesome. Those who make and do should be compensated accordingly.
I just want to point out the details and really focus on how bizarre it really is. Just because we accept it and have made it a custom of our society doesn’t mean it’s not kind of crazy. I’m sure there are very legitimate roots to how and why things are the way they are. Is it for easier organization? For easier control? Easier transportation of wealth? Why didn’t basketball cards, POGs, or beanie babies become new currency? I mean we did go from cows to gold to paper to plastic. Will there someday not be any “physical wealth”?
This is the stuff that keeps me up at night.
P.S. - Can I borrow a few dollars?
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