Both of my parents had taken vows of poverty to each other as part of their wedding vows their guiding philosophy was to “live simply so that others may simply live”. My dad remained silent, in a way that felt more accusing and harder to confront – as if I had suddenly upended his conception of the world. “Oh my God, are you one of those … Game Stop people?” she said, referring to the brief and spectacular rise in stock price of the video game retailer after amateur investors rallied around it in early 2021. I dispelled her accusation by opening up my investment account on my iPhone and turning the screen towards her to show her the balance.
“Are you on drugs?” my mom finally asked, anxiety flashing across her face.
They both stopped and looked at me, silent.
