"I hate numbers".

I heard this from a friend recently followed up with the reason why he and I are opposites in regard to public

policy.  I'm always asking how much things cost or what the cost / benefit of an idea might be.  He and others have great ideas about helping people but hate the numbers.  Those of us obsessed with numbers are portrayed as mean or heartless or lacking in compassion even if we may donate generously to others from what we can afford personally.

Ant and the Grasshopper.

Is there anyone who has not heard or read this story many times perhaps with many variations.  The fundamental idea is that the ants are industriously working and storing away food and resources ahead of winter while the grasshopper plays in the sun.  We all know what happens when Winter comes.

It may be said that ants are about numbers and grasshoppers are about fun.  Who could be opposed to fun, really?  Although, the assumption here is that ants never have fun.  Isn't it likely that they are able to have fun in peace after their work is done?   They can be at peace because they looked into the future and saw that Winter was coming. They prepared for it by looking at the number of days til then, the number of mouths to feed, the number of square area necessary to accommodate all the community, the number of available workers.

Grasshoppers cannot be concerned with numbers. They hate numbers.  Numbers aren't fun.  In fact numbers rain on the fun.  Numbers are for ants.  Ants don't know how to have fun.

Not everyone can be good at numbers, though many who claim not to be were just poorly taught by deficient teachers but others choose to avoid things that can be hard.  Sadly some who were daunted by Algebra, Calculus, and Geometry also abandoned Addition and Subtraction at the same time.  These people often find themselves with more month than money.   They are often baffled at how this can happen and when it goes on long enough become bitter that others seem to be better off than they are and come to think that its not fair.  These are ones that blame banks that told them that they could afford that payment when simple addition and subtraction would have told them otherwise.

Mathematicians and Musicians have special gifts and we are all grateful for them.  But even those of us without those gifts can still use their tools.  Who hasn't tried to learn an instrument and even had some modest accolades?  Who hasn't used a calculator?  No one needs to be gifted to add and subtract, even multiply with a calculator?  No one must be gifted to add up their spending and find that there isn't enough income and make adjustments voluntarily before those adjustments are forced on them with the loss of a house or a bankruptcy.

But here is the wisdom of the Ants:  Winter is coming.  So many folks have exactly the money to cover each month.  There aren't many things in life that are "unexpected", only "unplanned".  The fact is cars break down.  People get sick.  Businesses change and reduce their need for labor.  Natural disasters happen. (CA residents, will you be surprised when the big one comes?  You've been told your whole life that it's coming.)  These are not unexpected.  Only unplanned for.   They are as certain as Winter.

Lastly, a subject for a more detailed post later.  There are annual expected events like Winter for which we have consistent experience.   The global economic crisis is not a regular occurrence but the fact is that global events do effect us.  Sometimes immediately.  Sometimes later.  Sometimes only slightly. Other times in huge ways. If Winter comes each year, and we prepare accordingly, what shall we do to prepare for the national and global crises to come?   Will we heed the Wisdom of the Ants or play in the Sun like the Grasshopper?