Our mistakes take many forms. Relationships. The dreaded foot in the mouth. Oh, and money. Like the time I found myself in line at my college's student union, waiting for a Western Union money transfer from my father.
A few hours before, the lights in my apartment had gone out. A few days before that, I got a certified letter from my landlord, who was not just saying hello. The problem: I had spent too much of my paycheck on beer and sandwiches at Jimmy John's and failed to account for essentials. I was flat broke.
I called my father and begged for help. After some grumbling, he wired $500 to the campus branch of Western Union, where the woman at the counter said the cash came with a message. Stripped of some colorful adjectives, my dad's message was clear: Learn how to manage your money!
That slip-up years ago certainly wasn't my last one involving money, and heeding my father's advice has occasionally been a struggle. But I draw comfort in knowing that I'm hardly alone when it comes to making financial blunders.
