Everybody and Everything has a price

I’ve expressed my love for pro wrestling before. And growing up, there were few bad guys more devious than “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase. His catchphrase, “Everybody’s got a price!” with that maniacal laugh is as much a part of my childhood as He-Man and Count Chocula. He would regularly pay viewers to do disgusting feats for cash. Or bet that they would fail at some physical test, only to cheat them if they were getting close. It was perfect heel (Bad guy wrestler) tactics, and we all hated him for it. But, there is so much truth in his message. Everything does have a cost. As my kids get older, I have been giving a lot of thought how to best to guide them into adulthood. For my generation, it was a given that college was the expected choice for most folks. And there is a lot to be said of a college education. But the cost of a degree increases exponentially every decade. Is the cost/benefit analysis of a college degree the same as it was 30 years ago? The numbers say that it isn’t. On the other hand, most of the best paying technical and/or blue collar jobs take a high physical toil. There is the potential of great financial gain with little to no cost for training. However, this can lead to reduced quality of life in later years and an increase in medical bills due to the physical strain a lot of these jobs put on your body. I am a huge believer in entrepreneurship, but here the cost is initial startup capital, along with the potential failure rate of any business. It’s great to be your own boss, so long as the boss knows what they are doing! There is no right or wrong answer. There are only choices and costs and we all have to decide what is best for ourselves and those around us.