Excerpts from An American Life

Excerpt from the chapter, My First Big Mistake
If you think learning from your mistakes is difficult as a sixteen or seventeen year old teenager, I believe its more challenging as an eighteen-year-old legal adult. Life suddenly becomes more complicated financially, emotionally and physically leading to many pitfalls and traps for a new adult. As we grow older and wiser we are always presented with new challenges in our relationships and careers. This is what keeps life fresh but hazardous, exciting but scary, full of opportunity and peril at the same time.

Excerpt from the chapter, Learn From Your Bad Experiences
I think one thing adults take for granted is a full tank of gas. I dont think I had a full tank of gas until I was 19 years old. Theres a whole unexplored science to understanding the actual miles you can drive between the E for empty and the point where the needle is pegged and quits moving. Thats to say nothing of the one-gallon reserve thats supposed to exist. Think back to your first car. My guess is you spent so much time looking at your gas gauge that its still etched in your mind.

Excerpt from the chapter, Life Needs Special Moments
Once the honeymoon is over its inevitable that we slowly fall into the routine of life. It seems that we spend all of our time working, paying bills and raising the kids. Its no surprise that so many couples slowly drift apart over the years. We forget the needs, wants and desires of the one person in this world we have sworn to love for the rest of our lives, for better and for worse. in sickness and in health.

Excerpt from the chapter, Decide Today When You Want To Retire
I remember the excitement we felt when we made our first mortgage payment after four years of paying rent. Finally our money was going to a solid investment and best of all we only had 359 more payments until we owned our home free and clear. The second month was quite different. I opened our second mortgage statement excited to see how much of our first house payment had lowered the balance. I wasnt expecting much, but guessed at least $100 or $200. I wasnt even close. In the late 1980s interest rates were over 10%, so of the $600 payment we made, about 3% or $20 went to the principal. How was this any better than renting?

I would compare receiving my second mortgage statement to the time I received my first paycheck. If youre like me, you opened your first check right away and immediately asked the question. Who is FICA and why is he taking my money?

Excerpt from the chapter, For Better, For Worse, For Richer, For Poorer
Whats interesting about marriage and I think I can speak for most men when I say this; we are at our worst around the people we love the most. Who sees our faults and mistakes more than our own spouses? Probably no one.