Today I had a couple of Jester’s Pies and I didn’t realise that I was overcharged 60 cents for them until later. At first I was peeved but then I remembered I had a “two burgers for one” deal last week. So technically I’m still in front.
The point is, all it takes is a little bit of perspective to change how you feel about anything. It all depends on how you look at it. That bargain that you thought was so worth it, actually took you half an hour to drive there and more time spent waiting in line to get it and to pay for it. So was the time worth the bargain?
Or, you may think that you are saving time by doing things the easy way now but how much is it going to cost you down the road when you have to clean up the inevitable mess from a sloppy job?
What you think that you have lost may not actually be much in the bigger scheme of things. And what you think is precious or worthwhile doing, may not be such a big deal in the long run.
No where is perspective more important than with matters of money. Do you need more money when you already have more than the average? When you don’t have to worry about food and shelter? Do you really need to buy more crap? If not to spend, do you really need to hoard away so much? Why are you working so hard for? What’s wrong with being content? Is more money worth the pettiness, the jealousies and the fighting for?
Money isn’t everything and you can’t take it with you when you die.
Greedy people are like seagulls
which eat and eat and eat;
insatiable without rhyme or reason
rich115 @ flickr
(via everystockphoto.com)
The above thoughts came about when I heard news about my dad’s eldest sister and youngest brother (eldest and youngest of his family, respectively) coming to blows over how much my grandmother will give to them in her will. It all started when my uncle asked my aunty to put in more effort to look after my grandmother who is nearing 90. My aunty thought that since my uncle will get more inheritance (how they know I am not sure), he should be the one doing most of the work anyway.
What makes it worse is that she’s always been selfish and her family had already inherited a tidy sum from her husband’s parents. So why is she so petty for? Why does she need more money? How the hell would she be able to spend it all? It’s greed, pure and simple.
That it happened so close to Mother’s Day is quite disheartening too. I hope for my aunty’s sake who is 67, that her own children don’t follow her example. Then again, perhaps she would deserve it. Karma is a biatch.
14 Responses to “Money ain’t all that”
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oh man!!!
Ever heard of the concept coffee or cup?
Cup is like money / position where most ppl would aim for the best cup as in best in life.
As for coffee it’s our life. So either u enjoy your life (which is coffee) or u can keep on chasing after the cup and forgotten that actually we all just need a cup of coffee not caring how the cup looks like.
Learnt that from my boss when some contradicting things happen in workplace and it seems make sense. Wat for i bother so much about title? if i’m good i will get it if not then take it as God’s will. Just enjoy life and worry no more.
This is probably your best post to date. So brutal. So much integrity. So much honesty.
By the way, I know what you mean. When my father died, the same thing happened to me. Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, all I was thinking was, “This should be about the death of a human being, not about who gets what.”
And you’re absolutely right. Money isn’t all that. All it does is create an environment where enough is never enough. Money is definitely the root to all evil.
tsk. … seen it too many times.
BM: similar to my first reaction too!
DeV|LisH: that’s a great metaphor, thanks for sharing.
shelly: plus more money, and the efforts to chase it doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. Especially when it’s to be hoarded away and not to be touched. Which is kinda ironic.
herman: it’s a lack of morals, it’s what it is.
my gramps is generous with her money in her lifetime and provide only the best for her kids. when she is old she had nothing left because she gave it to her daughters to spend (they keep her money bcos she is illiterate)
wat is worse if an old lady did not have inheritance none of her children would like to look after her.. and even insist of the old lady to visit them..
I never liked Jesters pies anyway! Get further ahead by eating someone else next time you feel like a pie.
Personally, I like Maddington Centro’s Pattisserie [near Woolworths]. They make nice pies.
The girl once made a mistake and tried to give me too much change … but I noticed and made her take some of the money back. She must have been tired! [So, you never know, you might get the same girl and be 60 cents ahead!]
lovepixie: seen it enough in Chinese TV dramas – it’s a recurring phenomenon isn’t it?
Dabido: err thanks. Wasn’t the point of my article though.
eeks. sorry to say this but THE auntie is reali.. =_=
Its disappointing how adults can behave like children when squabbling over their so called inheritence.
My grandmother favoured her eldest and youngest sons (my uncles) which resulted in bitter sibling rivalry. Up to the day she died they were still both trying to “show face” to her, in the hopes of gaining a larger share of her legacy. The irony is that the moment my grandmother fell sick and was hospitalised both favoured sons were no where to be found. It was left to the middle siblings who have been ignored (my aunt and my father) to step in and take care of the medical bills.
And yes, I agree with you totally. Karma can be a real bitch. The wife Uncle No. 1 left him after my grandmother passed away. Turns out she was after the money too. Said uncle now has health problems with two teenage boys to look after while she sets out to trap the next unsuspecting fool. Uncle No. 2′s children are doing the exact same thing to him that he did to his mother, he is bedridden and his children are out spending his money like there’s no tomorrow and no one seems to be at all concerned about his declining health.
babyviolette: you really do reap what you sow. I’m always amazed that these “adults” cannot see that by mistreating their elderly parents, they are showing how they want their own children to treat them, ie. badly.
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it” – Henry David Thoreau
emowoman: true that.
[...] to put it all in even greater perspective, this is the same grandmother whose children are fighting over her will even before she’s dead. It’s a mess but karma [...]