I remember it like it was yesterday … The moment I realized that I’ve had it wrong all along.

That sensation of stupidity overcame me; my face was hot with embarrassment.

Where I was. Who I was with. What was going through my mind. Everything about this moment can be recalled. Feeling completely helpless is still the most vivid memory.

It happened a few years ago during a discussion with friends. We were hanging out at my old house in the Upper Kirby area of Houston, TX, and were a few drinks deep. The alcohol started guiding the topics and we were soon talking about life’s bigger questions. One of those slightly-inebriated, deep conversations we have all had.

Somehow, money and banking came up, and my buddy’s quasi-hipster girlfriend (at the time) paused the conversation to ask a question. Little did I know that what she was about to inquire would cause my entire ethos to pivot — almost instantaneously:

“So … Where does money come from?”

It’s a simple question — with a simple answer. And no, not that type of deeper simplicity that is, in itself, complex. Just good old simple.