Almighty Money

Money: It’s the root of many evils. Yet you cannot live without it. Yes, we have succumbed to the power of money. I recall a monologue in Hindi back in my middle school days (almost five decades ago – oh, how time flies). “Mei rupaya hoon, mei ladko ka larakpan ka khilona hoon, mei ondho ka lakhoti hoon, mei insaan ko nasaa sakta hoon, nasaa raha hoon, nasaa rahunga, mei rupaya hoon” (I am money, I am childhood toy for the boys, I am the walking stick for the blind, I can make mankind dance, I have been making them dance, I will continue to make them dance to my tune, I am almighty money).

If you want individual freedom, you got to have money, especially after you get out of the work force. You have to fend for yourself in your lonesome world. You need money for food, for utilities, medicine, clothing, housing, and so on in your old age if you don’t want to be dependent on anyone, not even Uncle Sam. Otherwise you may end up under an overpass, on a park bench or on a street corner and people may think you are just another wino. So, if you do not have money saved up for your “golden” (!) years, you keep working (only if the younger world will keep an old fart like you at work place) until you drop dead one day. There goes your dream of fishing on the golden pond or idling time with your grand kids or just collecting seashells on seashore.

Like many, I had planned to retire early to enjoy the time at the sunset. Then my company went belly up taking my savings along with it. So, I delayed my plan and kept working. Now the market is taking a nosedive and with that my remaining savings is taking a dive again. I suppose I will be working for a while. That almighty money has got a rope around our neck. If we try to get free, it tightens up. So, hang in there and keep working if you don’t want to be treated like the guy on a street corner passing out the worn out hat.