The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

The older I get, the more I hear people complain about taxes. When you're a kid, you say, "Santa's going to bring me presents this year! I just know it!" When you're an adult, that sentiment transforms into, "There are only two guarantees in life: Death and taxes." Think about how much you thought and talked about taxes growing up. That didn't take long, did it? Same here. I doubt I even knew what taxes were until I reached middle or high school. Little did I realize taxes, from people I'd probably never interact with in my life, were largely responsible for my safety, transportation, and education, among other things. Sadly, I, like most kids, took these services for granted. In hindsight, I of course appreciate them more. Oddly enough, it seems many adults, while being as ignorant as I was about taxes and the benefits they provided growing up, either remain ignorant of said benefits or take on the selfish mindset of, "I got mine growing ...