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In reply to the discussion: John Scalzi: Being Poor [View all]CrispyQ
(40,976 posts)22. A beautiful sentiment:
I wish there were still undisturbed places like this where people can be wealthy with nothing.
What a Poor Fisherman Can Teach Us
One day a rich Westerner who had made millions from speculating on the stock market was strolling along the beach and saw the fisherman pulling in his boat with his meager catch.
The rich Westerner stopped and remarked not much of a catch today. The fisherman replied yes not much but explained that his small catch was enough for him and his family.
The rich Westerner asked, But what do you do with the rest of your time?
I sleep late, play with my children and have an afternoons rest under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I go to the local pub to see my friends, play some music, and sing a few songs .. I have a full and happy life. replied the fisherman.
The rich Westerner ventured, I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.
With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have a large fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to a city from where you can direct your huge enterprise.
And after that? asked the fisherman.
After that? Thats when it gets really interesting, answered the rich Westerner, laughing, When your business gets really big, you can start selling stock in your company and make millions!
Millions? Really? And after that? pressed the fisherman.
After that youll be able to retire, move out to a small village by the sea, sleep in late every day, spend time with your family, go fishing, take afternoon naps under a coconut tree, and spend relaxing evenings with friends
We could have created a completely different reality. Some days my heart aches for the human species & what we could have been, but mostly I'm just pissed off that we were so stupid. The Eagles nailed it when they said, "Call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye."
I am so sorry about your beautiful island paradise.
What a Poor Fisherman Can Teach Us
One day a rich Westerner who had made millions from speculating on the stock market was strolling along the beach and saw the fisherman pulling in his boat with his meager catch.
The rich Westerner stopped and remarked not much of a catch today. The fisherman replied yes not much but explained that his small catch was enough for him and his family.
The rich Westerner asked, But what do you do with the rest of your time?
I sleep late, play with my children and have an afternoons rest under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I go to the local pub to see my friends, play some music, and sing a few songs .. I have a full and happy life. replied the fisherman.
The rich Westerner ventured, I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.
With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have a large fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to a city from where you can direct your huge enterprise.
And after that? asked the fisherman.
After that? Thats when it gets really interesting, answered the rich Westerner, laughing, When your business gets really big, you can start selling stock in your company and make millions!
Millions? Really? And after that? pressed the fisherman.
After that youll be able to retire, move out to a small village by the sea, sleep in late every day, spend time with your family, go fishing, take afternoon naps under a coconut tree, and spend relaxing evenings with friends
We could have created a completely different reality. Some days my heart aches for the human species & what we could have been, but mostly I'm just pissed off that we were so stupid. The Eagles nailed it when they said, "Call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye."
I am so sorry about your beautiful island paradise.
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Ducking into the drive-in window when you see a cop so he won't see that your plates are expired
NBachers
Mar 2013
#6
Some pretty heart-breaking stuff from one of my favorite sci-fi writers. Scalzi gets it....
Rowdyboy
Mar 2013
#7
+1. I've had the same experience (not in quite as idyllic a setting though). Did you find anything
HiPointDem
Mar 2013
#40
Being poor is having 3 jobs and still selling furniture to pay the electric bill.
mountain grammy
Mar 2013
#17
"Being poor is people who have never been poor wondering why you choose to be so."
Dragonfli
Mar 2013
#19
So true, Dragonfli, so true. Most of the poor are children, what choice do they have?
mountain grammy
Mar 2013
#21