As I wrote the checks to pay my share of taxes for last year, I was expecting to feel anger, resentment, and just a general sense of wharrgarbl.
You can imagine my reaction when none of these emotions turned up. The one that did surprised me: pride. “What?” you say. I know! But when I thought about it for a minute, it made sense.
In my previous years of paying taxes, I did so through my employers. Last year I worked only for me. This time I was the one writing the checks. Even though I’ve been part of the system for a long time, I’ve never had such a sense of direct contribution as I did today. That’s a very cool feeling.
It’s kind of like voting; I’m still juvenile enough to think, “Hey, I’m a grownup!” when I’m done. Now where’s my sticker?