Read The Money Mirror — Issue #16
The Cost of Waiting
Mary arrived at the café a few minutes early.
She ordered a coffee and found her usual table near the window.
As she waited for Breed Holloway, she pulled out the notebook that had become a regular companion over the past few weeks.
The pages were filled with notes, questions, observations, and numbers.
None of it was particularly complicated.
That was what bothered her.
Breed arrived a few moments later and immediately noticed the thoughtful look on her face.
"You've been thinking about something."
Mary laughed.
"Is it that obvious?"
Breed smiled.
"It usually is."
Mary closed the notebook.
"The more I understand my finances, the more I keep asking myself the same question."
"Which is?"
"Why did I wait so long?"
Breed sat quietly for a moment.
"That's an interesting question."
"And?"
"And most people ask it eventually."
Mary looked out the window.
"I lost two years."
Breed shook his head.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"You're assuming those two years would have unfolded differently."
Mary considered that.
"I suppose I am."
Breed stirred his coffee.
"The past has a way of looking obvious once we know the ending."
Mary smiled.
"That sounds frustratingly true."
For a few moments they watched people pass outside.
Some hurried.
Some moved slowly.
Most seemed lost in their own thoughts.
"I think I kept telling myself I'd deal with things later," Mary admitted.
Breed nodded.
"That's a very common strategy."
"It didn't work particularly well."
"No."
Mary laughed.
"No, it didn't."
Breed leaned forward.
"Most people think waiting is a neutral decision."
"What do you mean?"
"They think nothing is happening while they're waiting."
"But something is happening?"
"Always."
Mary looked curious.
Breed continued.
"Time is moving."
"The world is changing."
"Costs rise."
"Opportunities pass."
"Habits become stronger."
Mary nodded slowly.
"So waiting has consequences."
"It always does."
The words hung quietly between them.
Mary thought about all the things she had postponed over the years.
Not just financial decisions.
Phone calls.
Conversations.
Plans.
Dreams.
Even simple tasks.
"What you're talking about isn't really about money, is it?"
Breed smiled.
"Rarely."
Mary laughed.
"I should have known."
"For most people," Breed said, "the financial decision isn't the difficult part."
"What is?"
"Facing the discomfort that comes before the decision."
Mary looked down at her notebook.
For the first time, she understood why she had delayed so many things.
It wasn't because she didn't care.
It wasn't because she wasn't capable.
It was because uncertainty felt uncomfortable.
And avoiding discomfort had seemed easier.
At least for a while.
As they prepared to leave, Breed offered one final thought.
"Doing nothing feels safe until time sends the bill."
Mary smiled.
This time she would not wait for the bill to arrive.
Richard Sowa, Founder - Read The Money Mirror
FINANCIAL DECISIONS ARE NEVER JUST FINANCIAL.
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