Debt and her sweet clutches. Hold me, Debt. Hold ME!

I've dabbled in debt over the years. Due, in large part, to living beyond my means.
(shocker)
I quite honestly remember a time not too long ago when the mention by a friend of "not being able to afford" some little trifle on the order of groceries- or was it gas? - was incomprehensible to me. What dost thou mean, not afford it? How canst one not "afford" anything? We have credit, Silly!

Certainly I've always understood financial limitations in the realm of say, not being in the correct tax bracket to house myself at the Dakota overlooking Central Park or even a lease on a BMW 3 series. But with my handy dandy Amex Blue or UT Alumni MasterCard or my Wamu MasterCard or, ahem, others, I could always find a way to pay for groceries. Heck, throw a martini or two on top of that (oh and I did). I won't have a problem paying for them NEXT month.

Oh, the sweet cycle of debt.
Its clutches were so soft, warm and welcoming before morphing into the haggard, cruel thorny bonds that they would remain for all of eternity. Or until I paid the balance.

Speaking with girlfriends recently and reminiscing over our wonderful mid-twenties, two great quotes stick with me as they nail the credit habits of many young adults (and evidently all of America) squarely on the head.

"Oh, yeah! That was back when we all had credit cards and no one had money."*

"You know, when I was a grad student and my credit card was my paycheck"**

I leave you with these, as no greater quantity of words will so accurately describe how and why a very significant portion of the population became credit ne'er-do-wells.

Thanks to:
*Bridget O'Gara
**Jennifer Souza