How odd is it to write this? Yep. Odd. And yet, as one friend put it, I can be disarmingly honest – which may just be another way of saying that I over-share, or surprise people, or scare people, or something else. Personal finance is not always about finance; sometimes it is personal, about being a person. Selling my house and buying a tiny house had literally brightened my life. Yep. That was weird, odd, and a surprise.

It sounds trite. It sounds like the Wizard of Oz going from black and white to color. Lately, colors are brighter. Scenes are sweeter. The world looks better. The local Chamber of Commerce and tourism folks would probably love to say it is all because I moved to Port Townsend, which is an attractive place; but I noticed the change even when I re-visited my old neighborhood on Whidbey Island.

OK. I’m a curious fellow, so rather than just say, ‘huh, that’s curious’, I asked why such a thing could happen. I haven’t changed medications, or had any procedures (but arranging for new health care will be chronicled in a new post soon). In particular, greens were greener, but I also noticed more variations in the shades and hues. Lighting patterns were amplified. The world looked better.

For some background, I am also a photographer. I’ve sold my art and produced a ten-book photo series of Whidbey Island (photos, books). I notice light and color. I notice them more, now. (note to photographers: It was as if my HDR was switched on. Not exactly, but kinda.)

I’ll spare you the convoluted introspection that made me realize why it was happening. I’m debt-free, again.

Being debt-free improved my eyesight? Yep.

Being poor is unhealthy. I’ve just spent over a decade of dealing with the aftermath of what some friendly finance professionals called ‘a perfect storm of bad luck’. I called it My Triple Whammy. Details throughout this blog.

It can be difficult to understand how fundamentally different lifestyles can be. For those years, I was increasingly stressed and focused on surviving my financial upset. As my stress and focus intensified, my awareness of the world became increasingly narrow. Gotta make money, yes. But also, avoid anything that will cost money. Don’t hurt the car, or the house, or the career, or…, or…, etc. And overall, don’t hurt my body. Don’t hurt my Self. I couldn’t afford it.

I could still enjoy the colors of the changing seasons, but my brain reduced their priority. Gotta get the work done. Gotta spend as little as possible. Offers to go to free concerts weren’t free because they’d cost gas and time. Pay what you can takes care of the cash requirement, but it can’t cover lost work. The opportunity for joy is dulled.

Now that I am debt-free, I’m feeling better in other ways. My dreams have improved. As one friend said, I look lighter. I’m guessing my posture has improved (and has a long way to go as I sit scrunched typing this.) More money in the account, thanks to the house sale, means more time in bed. I’m even trying to relax. Still working on relaxing. That has deeper history.

And I pause. Yes, there are mean people out there. Yes, there are fine people in poverty. And yes, they can literally be seeing a different world, a darker world, a less vibrant world. Maybe they can’t afford entertainments. Maybe they can’t afford food. There’s no surprise if they can’t afford housing. Imagine how the world looks when you can’t afford a place to sleep, care for kids, doctor visits, family visits. I’ve yet to visit my father’s grave. (Maybe within the next several months.) When I see a car with a headlight out, or duct-tape across a window, or a fender held on with bungee cords I am now more likely to wonder about what else they can’t afford, and where their car is on their priority list.

I’ve seen the reports that objectively quantify the effect of income on life span, housing, etc.; but there’s less-tangible effects, some at least partly quantifiable, some highly individualized and subjective. I do not wonder why so many people see different ideologies, especially, if they are seeing different worlds.