The real impetus behind writing this column came from my recent study abroad experience. In addition to some amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences (climbing the Alps, eating in the restaurant where my parents met 30 years ago in Venice, etc.), there were some less-than-fun experiences that happened to me as well (took an 8 hour bus ride at 4 a.m. without sleeping, ended my lease early, etc.).

Aside from the normal consequences of international living and travel, I had a slightly terrifying experience while staying in Iceland. Upon arriving in the city proper, I was cashless, with not a cent (or should I say Euro cent). My original credit card got skimmed and maxed out in the Vatican months before, my back-up card was lost in a rush at Heathrow airport heading to Iceland, my back-up back-up card was not approved for use in Iceland, and I had just unknowingly spent the last of my physical Euros on the plane ride over. I’m sure many college students reading this are thinking “Well, I’ve gone weeks with $5.02 in my bank account,” but it is truly a different story when you are in a foreign country by yourself.

I was suddenly struck with the implications of my misfortune. Since this was at the end of my study abroad experience, I luckily had accommodations and a flight back to the U.S. I walked the sizable distance back to my hotel (not even able to afford public transport) and tried to figure out my next move in the third most expensive country in the world, according to data collected by Numbeo, a cost of living aggregator. I couldn’t go out and see anything that cost money. I couldn’t pick up any little trinkets or a postcard. I couldn’t even eat dinner.

After sitting in the hotel lobby for a couple of hours, I was able to reach my parents. Thanks to modern technology, I restored access to my back-up back-up debit card after several frantic (and expensive!) calls to my bank’s emergency line back in the U.S. Finally, I could get some dinner and sleep after a long day.

This whole experience got me thinking about the power of money in our world. I am a lucky man. I was born into a middle-class family that helps me through my young adulthood by assisting me with tuition and car payments, among many other things. While I sometimes don’t have the money I would like to have, money is seldom a worry for me. I have a roof over my head, three meals a day and a good school to go to. This is a privilege. Many people, unfortunately, do not have such luxuries.

Money has always represented power, from the Roman Republic hundreds of years ago to right here in Cleveland today. On one end of the spectrum, those without money are sometimes denied basic dignity. According to Policy Matters, a non-profit policy research institute, renters in Cleveland must earn nearly double minimum wage at 40 hours a week to afford an average two-bedroom apartment. Keep in mind that Cleveland is supposed to be a very affordable city.

Turning the focus to the United States as a whole, according to the non-profit Feeding America, one in eight Americans cannot afford the necessary food to sustain themselves and their households. That is nearly 40 Million Americans. Compounding the issue, those in poverty have a much harder time than most Americans finding a job.

The Urban Institute, a U.S.-based non-profit research organization, found that those in poverty struggle more during the job hunt; they cannot afford to travel to job interviews, care for their children or simply keep up with their own health. So, those without money have trouble finding jobs (and keeping them!), thereby they have little money, thereby more trouble providing for their families, thereby leading to more difficulties finding a job and thus the cycle of poverty repeats ad infinitum.

Of course, the inverse of this is true too. A quick look at the news illustrates how members of the ultra-wealthy society are using their money to make things happen for themselves. Some recent examples include the Ivy League admissions scandals rocking many top U.S. universities, the so-called affluenza teen who was accused of killing four in a drunk driving crash and was let off for being unable to understand the implications of his actions due to his privileged upbringing and the practice by luxury brands such as Burberry and Nike of destroying millions of dollars of perfectly wearable clothes to “protect their brands.”

This is, of course, their prerogative. While it occasionally catches up with them (looking at you Felicity Huffman), on the by-and-by, the privileged members of society rarely seem to have their day in court.

All of this is to say money is a necessary evil. Without money, society as we know it would not exist. However, I believe a lesson is needed in empathy and understanding, in addition to more scrutiny towards those who game the system for their benefit but to society’s detriment.