ot. 1st world problems.

[sdsurfer]

[quote=La Jolla Renter]an oldie but goodie…

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”[/quote]

Love this one and quote it often to people.

[flyer]

[quote=sdsurfer][quote=La Jolla Renter]an oldie but goodie…

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”[/quote]

Love this one and quote it often to people.[/quote]

+1

I’ve always felt it’s best to live the life you want to live each day, since no one ever really knows how long they’ll be on planet earth.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=spdrun]So would some houses and other actually useful things. If someone wants a big rock, that’s a sign the fiance should leave her crying at the altar. After taking back the ring, of course.[/quote]

I would not discount the usefulness of jewelry. With them, you can buy the affection of your wife, your daughter-in-law, grand children, etc.. . Heirlooms tie people together through the generations.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=zk]Maybe the guy in India is as happy as the guy at the garden store.[/quote]

maybe. i felt an uncomfortable pause after i said my household income. like it pricked him. i could be projecting.

the guy in the garden store was having a really truly good time. told me hed spent 10 years working at a gas station and this job was awesome in comparison…of course, i didnt tell him my income, but he mightve thought i was a rich idiot, spending so much cash on giant pots…although frankly he didnt seem the type to judge.

i kinda wanted to hang out with him. maybe get trained to work there? that is, if money were no object. which is obviously not the case…

[zk]

[quote=scaredyclassic][quote=zk]Maybe the guy in India is as happy as the guy at the garden store.[/quote]

maybe. i felt an uncomfortable pause after i said my household income. like it pricked him. i could be projecting.

the guy in the garden store was having a really truly good time. told me hed spent 10 years working at a gas station and this job was awesome in comparison…of course, i didnt tell him my income, but he mightve thought i was a rich idiot, spending so much cash on giant pots…although frankly he didnt seem the type to judge.

i kinda wanted to hang out with him. maybe get trained to work there? that is, if money were no object. which is obviously not the case…[/quote]

Question: If you could trade places with the guy at the garden store, would you? (Leaving your family out of the equation.) You’d have his job and also his innate ability to be happy. You’d work in the garden store, and you’d be happy. You wouldn’t have much money.

You hear people say that how happy you are is a choice, but I think that’s only true to a very small extent. I think (and research says) a person spends most of his life hovering around his spot on the happiness spectrum, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s putting effort into being happy, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s a well-off lawyer or an $11/hour garden-store guy. It doesn’t even matter if he’s paralyzed or blind.

I was in NYC last summer on vacation. I’m having a decent time on vacation, and here I am on the subway. I’m probably mildly stressing about dinner accommodations or tomorrow’s itinerary. Three Jamaican maids walk in and sit down. They’re talking and laughing and sparkling. Two of them were, anyway. The other was happy to be along for the ride. I felt the same way about them as you did about the garden store guy. I wanted to hang out with them.

To me, being born (or raised, or whatever it is) with that level of happiness is worth far more than being born with the advantages of wealth, intelligence, first-world residence, educational opportunities, dominant race, good looks, or just about anything else.

[zk]

[quote=FlyerInHi]
I would not discount the usefulness of jewelry. With them, you can buy the affection of your wife, your daughter-in-law, grand children, etc.. . Heirlooms tie people together through the generations.[/quote]

Why would you want to buy somebody’s affection? Why would you want the affection of somebody whose affection could be bought? Why would you want affection that was really for a diamond and not for you?

[spdrun]

^^^

this.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=zk][quote=FlyerInHi]
I would not discount the usefulness of jewelry. With them, you can buy the affection of your wife, your daughter-in-law, grand children, etc.. . Heirlooms tie people together through the generations.[/quote]

Why would you want to buy somebody’s affection? Why would you want the affection of somebody whose affection could be bought? Why would you want affection that was really for a diamond and not for you?[/quote]

Sometimes it’s necessary. Not necessarily a diamond but something expensive.. Let’s say your wife stood by you when your were poor. Now that you’re rich you have to reward her. My neighbor in Vegas bought his wife a Bentley. We went to dinner and she said she chose him because she always knew that he would make it. She saw the enterpreneurial spirit in the young man who was wooing her.

I don’t think good looks and personality are enough. You need a job and income to buy things.

Or let’s say your son married someone who didn’t like you. You may wish you had an heirloom to pass down to her to buy her loyalty. Someone has to buy that jewelry at one point.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=scaredyclassic]

i didnt tell him my income, but he mightve thought i was a rich idiot, spending so much cash on giant pots…although frankly he didnt seem the type to judge.

i kinda wanted to hang out with him. maybe get trained to work there? that is, if money were no object. which is obviously not the case…[/quote]

$1000 on pots is not a lot. One big architectural pot can be $1000 It’s all relative.

You’re too intelligent to hang out too long with a garden store clerk. If you started as a salesman, pretty soon you’d own your own store and sell to rich suburban wives.

A happy go lucky guy doesn’t ponder things and worry that guns used to fight government tyranny would be like Dallas but a hell of a lot more.

[njtosd]

[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=zk][quote=FlyerInHi]
I would not discount the usefulness of jewelry. With them, you can buy the affection of your wife, your daughter-in-law, grand children, etc.. . Heirlooms tie people together through the generations.[/quote]

Why would you want to buy somebody’s affection? Why would you want the affection of somebody whose affection could be bought? Why would you want affection that was really for a diamond and not for you?[/quote]

Sometimes it’s necessary. Not necessarily a diamond but something expensive.. Let’s say your wife stood by you when your were poor. Now that you’re rich you have to reward her. My neighbor in Vegas bought his wife a Bentley. We went to dinner and she said she chose him because she always knew that he would make it. She saw the enterpreneurial spirit in the young man who was wooing her.

I don’t think good looks and personality are enough. You need a job and income to buy things.

Or let’s say your son married someone who didn’t like you. You may wish you had an heirloom to pass down to her to buy her loyalty. Someone has to buy that jewelry at one point.[/quote]
Once again, shaking my head. No item could make me like someone that I wouldn’t otherwise. I think you need to go back to your home planet, Brian.

[njtosd]

[quote=zk][quote=scaredyclassic][quote=zk]Maybe the guy in India is as happy as the guy at the garden store.[/quote]

maybe. i felt an uncomfortable pause after i said my household income. like it pricked him. i could be projecting.

the guy in the garden store was having a really truly good time. told me hed spent 10 years working at a gas station and this job was awesome in comparison…of course, i didnt tell him my income, but he mightve thought i was a rich idiot, spending so much cash on giant pots…although frankly he didnt seem the type to judge.

i kinda wanted to hang out with him. maybe get trained to work there? that is, if money were no object. which is obviously not the case…[/quote]

Question: If you could trade places with the guy at the garden store, would you? (Leaving your family out of the equation.) You’d have his job and also his innate ability to be happy. You’d work in the garden store, and you’d be happy. You wouldn’t have much money.

You hear people say that how happy you are is a choice, but I think that’s only true to a very small extent. I think (and research says) a person spends most of his life hovering around his spot on the happiness spectrum, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s putting effort into being happy, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s a well-off lawyer or an $11/hour garden-store guy. It doesn’t even matter if he’s paralyzed or blind.

I was in NYC last summer on vacation. I’m having a decent time on vacation, and here I am on the subway. I’m probably mildly stressing about dinner accommodations or tomorrow’s itinerary. Three Jamaican maids walk in and sit down. They’re talking and laughing and sparkling. Two of them were, anyway. The other was happy to be along for the ride. I felt the same way about them as you did about the garden store guy. I wanted to hang out with them.

To me, being born (or raised, or whatever it is) with that level of happiness is worth far more than being born with the advantages of wealth, intelligence, first-world residence, educational opportunities, dominant race, good looks, or just about anything else.[/quote]

I have this discussion with my kids: would you take a drug that would reduce your IQ 20% but would guarantee that you’re happy for the rest of your life? Please no one argue about the relevance of IQ (we can just call it intellect).

Another way to put it: before I had my first child I worried about Down Syndrome. But DS kids are generally happy and loving. What I would worry about now is Autism – kids who find it hard to be socially integrated or content, and there’s no prenatal test for it.

[scaredyclassic]

[quote=njtosd][quote=zk][quote=scaredyclassic][quote=zk]Maybe the guy in India is as happy as the guy at the garden store.[/quote]

maybe. i felt an uncomfortable pause after i said my household income. like it pricked him. i could be projecting.

the guy in the garden store was having a really truly good time. told me hed spent 10 years working at a gas station and this job was awesome in comparison…of course, i didnt tell him my income, but he mightve thought i was a rich idiot, spending so much cash on giant pots…although frankly he didnt seem the type to judge.

i kinda wanted to hang out with him. maybe get trained to work there? that is, if money were no object. which is obviously not the case…[/quote]

Question: If you could trade places with the guy at the garden store, would you? (Leaving your family out of the equation.) You’d have his job and also his innate ability to be happy. You’d work in the garden store, and you’d be happy. You wouldn’t have much money.

You hear people say that how happy you are is a choice, but I think that’s only true to a very small extent. I think (and research says) a person spends most of his life hovering around his spot on the happiness spectrum, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s putting effort into being happy, and it doesn’t really matter if he’s a well-off lawyer or an $11/hour garden-store guy. It doesn’t even matter if he’s paralyzed or blind.

I was in NYC last summer on vacation. I’m having a decent time on vacation, and here I am on the subway. I’m probably mildly stressing about dinner accommodations or tomorrow’s itinerary. Three Jamaican maids walk in and sit down. They’re talking and laughing and sparkling. Two of them were, anyway. The other was happy to be along for the ride. I felt the same way about them as you did about the garden store guy. I wanted to hang out with them.

To me, being born (or raised, or whatever it is) with that level of happiness is worth far more than being born with the advantages of wealth, intelligence, first-world residence, educational opportunities, dominant race, good looks, or just about anything else.[/quote]

I have this discussion with my kids: would you take a drug that would reduce your IQ 20% but would guarantee that you’re happy for the rest of your life? Please no one argue about the relevance of IQ (we can just call it intellect).

Another way to put it: before I had my first child I worried about Down Syndrome. But DS kids are generally happy and loving. What I would worry about now is Autism – kids who find it hard to be socially integrated or content, and there’s no prenatal test for it.[/quote]

ill take the drug but i need same financial status…

[zk]

[quote=njtosd]
I have this discussion with my kids: would you take a drug that would reduce your IQ 20% but would guarantee that you’re happy for the rest of your life? Please no one argue about the relevance of IQ (we can just call it intellect).

[/quote]

To me, that’s a no-brainer. Make it 50%, and I’d still take it. Heck, I’d give you a million dollars for it. (As long as I could do it without putting a burden on other people.) What the hell good are money and intelligence if they don’t make you happy?

That would’ve been my answer before I had a family, anyway. If I could take that drug and still (in my newly borderline-retarded state) give my family the (non-monetary) support and guidance I want to give them, then I’d still take it now.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=njtosd]
Once again, shaking my head. No item could make me like someone that I wouldn’t otherwise. I think you need to go back to your home planet, Brian.[/quote]

Haha… You know I’m not totally serious. I didn’t say jewels can make you like someone, but they can buy respect and loyalty. And maybe you will like that person later because feelings change.

Wealth that carries sentimental or symbolic value can be more useless than cold cash to cement relationships. Why do you thinks companies give gifts after so many years of service?

[spdrun]

If the corepiration for whom I worked gave me a gift, my first thought would be “f you, your momma, poppa, and your children – I’d prefer to have the money to spend as *I* wish.”

[Author]

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