Catch-22 - A no-win situation, often bound by constraints of circular logic, in which each course of action yields a self-contradictory effect and creates an impasse to favorable outcome.

When I was kid, I played a lot of basketball, and was always trying to get my Dad to take me to a Chicago Bulls game. At the time, Michael Jordan was leading the Bulls to championship after championship, and as thrilling as it was to see him play on TV, I knew it would be even better to watch a game from the inside the stadium.

Some nights after climbing into bed, I would even put on a pair of headphones and stay awake listening to the game on the radio. It seemed that no matter the circumstance, whether the clock was running out or there were three guys guarding him, Jordan always found a way to win.

But it wasn't until just this year that I finally made it to a Bulls game--long after Michael Jordan had retired (for good).

When I was younger, I wouldn't have thought of missing even one second of the action had I been offered the opportunity to go to a game. But more than a decade later, I arrived at the United Center as the second quarter was well under way. And even though I was having an awesome time at the game, I wound up leaving before it was even over.

That's the ironic part about my life so far--it's almost like a Catch-22. When I had the time, I didn't have the money. When I finally had the money, I didn't have the time.

But then I figured--why go once when you can go twice? So on February 22, I rolled up to the United Center in a cab, and again missed the opening tip-off. But I had an absolutely great time watching the Bulls beat the Nuggets 135-121. In fact, it was the highest scoring game for the Bulls since 1991--the season Michael Jordan and the Bulls won their first NBA championship. And in a way, the experience helped make up for some lost time in my life.

Looking back, it almost seems like life starts out as one continuous Catch-22. For example, many young people know that no matter how hard you try, it's nearly impossible these days to find a good job and a decent salary without a college degree. And yet, it's even harder to afford college without first having a good job to pay for it.

Sometimes life tosses us these inescapably difficult situations and says, "Here, catch!"

But we shouldn't just catch whatever the world throws us. Like Michael Jordan wearing the number 23 jersey, we should find the strength to leap high above all obstacles--and dunk!

So even when it seems like all is lost and there's no way to win, it's not a Catch-22 when you can Dunk-23.

Not too long ago, times were tough, and I did the best I could. These days, thanks to long hours of hard work, I'm finally starting to see a slow but steady improvement in my circumstances.

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Last week, I purchased $240 worth of electronic U.S. savings bonds (Series I), and had enough left in my budget to purchase another $310 worth this week--which means I'm now financing 10.002% (double digits!) of 'My Share' of the national debt. Dunk-23...