red head assets.rebelmouse.io | I hope you know that I immediately thought of you when I read that Axios article you sent me about keeping financial secrets from your spouse. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Why me? I sent it to you because the survey supports my position that people in serious relationships should exchange credit reports so that there are no surprises. Not to mention, they need to be open and honest about money. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Well, it reminded me of how you told me about lying to your husband when you blew your Ferrari engine. It was years ago, but I’ll never forget it. In fact, I still laugh and shake my head in amazement. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | You really do need to get a life. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Admit it, there aren’t too many people that have “replace Ferrari engine” as a line item on their credit card bill or monthly budget. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io |
Well, it was not a planned expenditure. Although when the engine blew on the
racetrack, I was prepared in terms of knowing where to safely pull over and quickly
exit the car. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Of course, you were. But, at what point did you decide to lie to your husband about the cost of the engine? I still don’t know how much that engine cost, but he could easily afford to replace it. He was already paying for you to race Ferraris. So, why did you choose to pay for half of it yourself? |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Trust me, even half was a big number. And, the 360 Ferrari Challenge had one of the best V-8 engines they ever made. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | You’re avoiding the question. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | When we got married, he made sure to keep all our assets totally separate. He knew I had some money of my own, although nothing on the magnitude of his, so it was not like I was hiding money. My racing was already costing him so much, so I thought paying half was the least I could do. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | But did you tell him that, or just lead him to believe that his “half” was the “full” amount? |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | What difference does it make? |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Is there a reason you didn’t want him to know you were trying to be considerate? Especially because when I went through my crisis, you always talked about the importance of having open and honest communication, especially about money. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | I still feel that way, but a conversation requires more than one person. Since I handled most of his money for him, including the interface with his wealth managers and tax accountants, he made it very clear there was nothing more to discuss. And, any time I tried to bring up the topic of money, he would cut me off and just say, “Everything’s great.” |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Well, it was. At least financially. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Yes, if you only look at the numbers. But, we had very different attitudes toward money, and that was something he would not discuss. Many people, regardless of financial status, are not comfortable talking about money. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | I know my natural tendency is to avoid what I perceive as difficult conversations, which definitely includes money, but surely not everyone feels the way I do. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Initially, did you avoid financial conversations because you felt intimidated and confused, or because you were trying to avoid conflict? |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Back then, both. Now that I have a better understanding of money, it’s just an awkward topic. Especially since most people don’t talk, they argue, about it. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Or, keep secrets or avoid the topic entirely. Which may seem “helpful” in the short term but are not long-term solutions. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Says the woman who ultimately got divorced. So, tell me, if you had to do it over again, would you have handled the situation with the Ferrari engine any differently? |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Hindsight should be 20-20. Looking back, there were probably things I could have done to avoid blowing the engine. |
Take a moment and imagine not being able to read this sentence. Now, think about this … if you’re reading this, you’re doing something millions of Americans can’t.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io |
I’ll admit that I never realized how many people can’t read.
It’s something I’ve always taken for
granted. That’s until Black and I met
someone doing something about it – Jackie Aguilera, now the Project Manager for
the Mayor’s Office of Adult
Literacy (Houston). Her focus
wasn’t only on reading literacy but on “literacies” I’d never heard of, such as
financial literacy, health literacy, and digital literacy. But it all starts
with the ability to read. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io |
It
is called functional
literacy. Obviously, if you
are reading this article, you are on the internet. Which has more information than anyone can
possibly absorb (and is why news literacy is so critical). Now,
imagine if you could not read. All that
information … just sitting there.
Available to others, but not to you. |
red head assets.rebelmouse.io |
Books are my great escape. Always have been. So, I can’t
imagine a life without them. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io |
A great escape … in many ways. You may use it to escape from the stresses of
daily life or just as entertainment. But,
books and, more specifically, the ability to read is how people can escape a
life of poverty and limited opportunities.
|
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | Working with Jackie made me see that. As did our work with the criminal justice system, as so many incarcerated people struggle to read. And I know you’re a data geek, but please don’t start quoting me statistics. |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | OK, no statistics, but did you know that more people in the US are affected by low literacy (meaning they cannot read at a sixth-grade level) than are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease? |
Over the years, as we’ve learned how many people can’t read (including one in three Houstonians), it’s made us stop and think about how that impacts every aspect of their lives … their families … their communities. And also … our communities and our country.
As former First Lady Barbara Bush said many years ago,
If you help a person to read, then their opportunities in life will be endless.
Because now is the time to decide what direction we want to take our country. RED & BLACK … A Time For Independence is about the spirit of independence. And four years later, we feel it’s very sad (and very scary) that our sentiments about our country’s leaders having the strength, courage, and conviction to be independent thinkers are still relevant. Maybe even more than ever before.
People have told us they're using our sisterly banter to start conversations with others (family, friends, and even in classrooms), so Black created "Conversation Starters".
Health literacy is more than just reading a prescription label or following a doctor’s instructions; it’s understanding our health – from basic information to making choices that support our well-being. And October is Health Literacy Month, although it may take more than a month to figure it out.
But if it makes you feel any better – Red found the term “health literacy” both intimidating and boring, while Black thought it was off-putting …
red head assets.rebelmouse.io | As a mom, over the years, I've had to become familiar with various
children's health issues and basic
healthcare (and don't get me started on health insurance). But whenever it was something more than the common
cold or flu, a stomach ache, or the usual scrapes and bruises, I felt like I
was back in school. And between the
terminology and trying to understand how the body works, I often felt like I
needed a nursing degree. Not to mention,
there's so much information on the internet, it can be overwhelming as well as confusing
and sometimes scary.
Over the years, I've also had to deal with my aging parent's more serious health issues, and I've lost count of the pages of notes I've taken and questions I've asked. Or the conversations discussing risks vs. benefits that I've had with medical professionals and my sister. (I'm glad Black finds statistics "fun" and can look at them unemotionally because they give me a headache.) |
Black assets.rebelmouse.io | Until recently, I had never heard the term "health literacy," and when I
first did, I initially thought about general literacy skills such as the
ability to read and understand numbers. Skills that are essential if you are sick and need health information
and services, but also impact health decisions that should be simple, like filling
out forms, taking over-the-counter drugs (aspirin, cold and flu remedies, etc.),
and learning about the things we should (or should not) do to live a healthier life
and reduce the chances of serious illness.
But then, I thought about how anytime I had to deal with a health issue, especially ones that could potentially be serious, it was a tedious, complicated, and technical challenge. And, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I like to consider myself well-read, pragmatic, and comfortable with numbers and research documents. In other words, although it impacts some people more than others, the issue of "health literacy" affects us all. (And, that does not even address what it does to the cost of healthcare.) |
THE CONVERSATION STARTERS
- Before now, have you ever thought about "health literacy"? How would you describe it? What impact does it have on your life? How can it impact your ability to be successful in the workplace?
- Why do health and healthcare topics seem so daunting?
- Does health literacy only impact you when you are facing health issues? Explain your answer.
- Have you ever had a medical situation or condition that required you to learn more about it? Where did you seek information? Did you have any problems learning about it? Explain your answers.