More Diatribes About Money

I would say, one of the easiest sins to commit would probably be greed.

Money shouldn’t mean much to any of us, considering you can’t eat it or breathe it. But it sustains life. People have also traded lives for it. And a lot of other people are willing to end life over it. I’m not some bible thumper, so get that out of your head now. What I am is a (somewhat) decent person. When you aspire to gain as much money as possible, which I don’t blame you…comforts and whatnot, you are going to make others resentful. Or jealous. People use that phrase “money is the root of all evil.” Root…as in core. At the heart of every thing related to money, people will do bad things to themselves or to each other.

My Dad took a bit of that out of the equation. But I’m not going to put him on a pedestal. As an Asian guy taking care of his family, of course he laments all the failed business opportunities he could’ve had had he not three undeserving kids to deal with. But, I think he’s a little happy that he left an imprint of children to this world. Well, that simpler world back then. You could own property and pay it off. When we made things. Rich people respect hard work. My Dad’s restaurant was in the heart of a heavy Jewish community. They value hard work, and were always respectful of him. This is a man who didn’t have a mansion, a fancy car or yacht. He toiled in a kitchen, satisfied with the basics he was giving people. I would hope he would be also proud of that as I am. Money is only as powerful as the people who you can lord it over. A person who doesn’t want money…you can’t ever buy. Some argue, a lot of homeless people would be less inclined to mental health issues if they had the money to buy medication or, at the very least, we just consider crazy rich people to be eccentric. If you ever want to suffer the worst, it’s having the means for sanity and still being insane.

The other thing that people consider happiness is maybe…a pretty girl next to you. There is a neverending well of women who will date you ONLY for your money. I think of those moments as why a lot of guys want to make a LOT of money. But, if that is the core of who they are, and you’re okay with it, you’re in a good situation. Often times, this is not the case. Money and beauty…one will outlive the other.

I was in jury duty and saw the original supermodel Janice Dickinson walk by. She had her entourage. Lawyers and well-wishers. She’d been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Poor poor awful way for a woman to end her life. Her face was botox’d to a lioness’s jaw. She was very regal, her heels clicking down the marble floor. She spotted me as I looked. I nodded politely, as she turned back to her path. If you were to offer her bank account for mine with the notion that she would’ve never been (allegedly) raped by Cosby or have cancer, I’m not sure she would trade. Though, it’s not a great devil’s offer. I think when you make a deal with fame or fortune, you take with it some of the parts of the world that isn’t so great. I think the rich life fades. I know the richest friends of mine seem to be more interested in my simple life. I’m often more interested in people who live a basic life as my own. I think we get more creative the less we have.