My old boss hammered this into me when I first started working as a publisher and started handling budgets and assuming responsibility for some of the company's profits.
Relationships can be quite dreamy to get into, with all the excitement that comes with the promise of a new adventure.
As a publisher, meeting a new interesting author with an equally interesting story can lead to one getting carried away, and before you know it, the conversation has advanced and none of the business has been attended to. Authors claim not to care about the money as it means a lot for them to be pursuing their passion. Bulls***t!
When the royalty statements come out there is a completely different beast interrogating them and throwing wild accusations.
And so, eventually when my boss's lesson finally settled in me, I had a much lovelier time with my authors. It would be uncomfortable and awkward in the beginning but then it would be easy and lovely going forward.
And a lot of it has to do with how we black people were raised to believe that talking about money is crass. We are sent to neighbours to ask about "the parcel" instead of saying: "My mother wants to know when you will pay back the money you loaned from her".
This virtuous nonsense has not served us well, especially when it comes to romantic relationships in which women have more money.
I am not against dating men with less money but we have already established that men are trash, so they will lie and they will mislead you, and you have absolutely no control over that.
Thabiso Mahlape
Credit: Sowetan Live
