About once a month I grow “money weary.” With a budget of well over four million dollars and tuition being $15,000 a year, it’s no surprise that the private school I work at attracts the wealthy. Oh, sure, there’s the financial aid and the mention of wanting to ‘diversify’ the community (something you just can’t do if you don’t offer big discounts), but the reality is this: You have to be fairly financially well off to afford this school. Sure, there are parents who are living in smaller homes and on modest budgets to afford the best education for their children. But then, let’s face it, the majority of them live in mansions. As a former public school attendee, I am peeking into a world I have never been privy too. Where else would I see so many BMW’s and Lexus’ convened in one small parking lot? Where else would I have a conversation about summer homes and vacations in Italy? None of my friends are rolling around in high priced vehicles and million dollar mansions facing the water. Initially, when I first started, I was sure it wouldn’t affect me. In fact, I’d always prided myself on how little I could live on and still get by. But as the year progresses all that money has started to wear on me. I can’t quite pin-point it. Is it because I long to own a home? Is it because I wish I could work so little and inherit so much? Could it be I just want the fancy clothes? Is it because I still have never been out of the country? Or perhaps it’s because there is all this evidence of a certain ease of life, a comfort that can only be bought, be it nannies catering to your children or a private plane taking you wherever you want to go. As more and more of their wealthy lives are made known to me I find myself feeling suffocated. I don’t like this, I have no reason to feel angst, and I have a great life. Despite this, I still feel weary of how much wealth is revealed to me every day. It’s catching up with me…