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Degrees of Freedom

Slang holds a mirror up to society. Was interesting to read what words are in circulation around the world even if the list is far from comprehensive. The degrees of freedom one in Mandarin was quite instructive;

.. “bubble tea freedom,” “cherries freedom,” and “lipstick freedom,” respectively. Each describes a different (low) level of financial independence, signaling that you have enough money to afford all the bubble tea (about ￥20), cherries (about ￥100+/kilogram), or lipstick (￥200+) that you want

Made me think about the degrees of freedom J achieved before leaving for college since she started working every summer since middle school. At first there was a bit of money but no sense of freedom. She was excited to have a bank account and be able to deposit her check. Beyond that there was nothing. Next came the ability to take me out to lunch on my birthday that coincided with her getting a learner's permit. It was an annual "splurge" and I could see her feeling "rich" as she signed the check. 

The following year, she made a bit more money and also had a driver's license. Now she was able to pay for gas and going where she wanted to go was easy - a whole new degree of freedom. Over time, there was an occasional iced-coffee added to the mix, along with lunch and dinner with friends and then finally a Spotify subscription - an ongoing financial commitment and the first in her life.

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