$ign of the Times

While we are not the only such culture, Americans are widely known for our need for instant gratification. The other American stereotype (that often goes hand-in-hand) is our ultraconsumption and widespread occurrence of living beyond our means. Of course we're seeing this played out with our current financial crisis.

I read today that Annie Leibovitz, the iconic photographer, is $24,000,000 in debt. I'm a fairly big fan of her work and I really was shocked to learn how a person so successful in her professional affairs can still live a false reality when it comes to finances. Here's the link to the excellent New York Magazine article about Annie's predicament:

http://nymag.com/fashion/09/fall/58346/

I stand firm in my belief that financial education classes should be compulsory components of public high school and college education.

Willie by Annie Leibovitz