I read a great short story once (can’t remember where), but it starts with a homeless man, camped out next to a bank in N.Y. city. He’s very envious of the doorman who wears a clean, warm jacket everyday and gets to spend his days inside the warm, clean bank. Then it goes to the doorman who is very envious of the bank teller, who has his own apartment and doesn’t have to live with his parents, then the bank teller who is very envious of the loan officer who is buying a condo and is engaged to be married. But it turns out the loan officer is very envious of the bank manager who has already paid for his home, is happily married and has his children in college.
It turns out the bank manager is very unhappy because he has had to do some “creative” bookkeeping to keep the bank appearing profitable in order for him to keep his children in college and his wife happy with designer clothes, fancy home, fancy dinner parties, etc.
The final chapter has the bank manager receiving news that his bank is being audited and he realizes that his days at the bank are numbered, all is about to be revealed. He becomes very distressed at the thought of disappointing his wife and children, and at the thought of his social embarrassment. As he leaves the bank he catches sight of the homeless man, sheltered under his pile of blankets and eating a discarded sandwich, and becomes very envious of the simplicity of this mans life.
