My mom paid off her house in 2003.
Thought that was it. Thought she was done. Thought it was finally hers.
Property taxes were $1,800 a year back then.
She’s retired now. Fixed income. Same house. Same neighborhood.
Property taxes are $24,000 a year.
That’s $2,000 a month.
On a house she already paid for.
She’s 71 years old and the government sends her a bill every year just to stay in her own home.
You never really own anything in America.
You just make payments to a different landlord.
High intelligence often comes with heightened pattern recognition. You start noticing social masks, forced conversations, performative friendships, hidden motives, emotional immaturity, and energy that feels draining instead of nourishing. Many highly intelligent people also have more active nervous systems, deeper inner worlds, and lower tolerance for superficial stimulation, so solitude can feel safer than constantly shrinking themselves to fit environments that don't feel aligned.
Just had to remind my friend that I’m about to be a mandated reporter when I heard him tell his daughter she can’t put on anymore lotion cause she already put on a zip worth. 😩😩