Serf-ing USA

Gaining wealth by owning less.

Recently an acquaintance left me speechless for a minute when he said: “Wait, I thought you were rich?”

Of course, compared to rest of the developing world, almost every American could be called rich. I’ve traveled in developing nations and have been stunned when I return home with a clear view of the chasm between rich and poor nations.

But that’s not what the guy meant.

Lucy and I live well, but that’s mostly because we eliminated all our debt (including our mortgage) when we were in our late 30s. My income puts us in the 65th percentile in the United States. That’s pretty good for a journalist/woodworker/teacher. But it would be laughable to a freshly degree-d medical school school graduate.

On the drive home from the conversation, I recovered a bit from the comment and tried to see things his way. And it made sense.

Here’s what he sees: a house f…