A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have a 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 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 an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle-man, 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 Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise. "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?" "Afterwards?" That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really?" "And after that?" asked the fisherman. "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking and playing the guitar with your friends!"

-- Bart (Dominickwb@dot.state.sc.us), February 28, 2002

Answers

Exactly!

We heard an extension agent give a lecture on his trip to Costa Rica. All through he kept pointing out the things these poor people didn't have, how often there cars broke down, how simply they lived(as in deprived). But he also kept pointing out how happy, congenial, laid back the people were. He didn't get it, even after being there. In his mind they were able to be happy "in spite of these 'conditions'" rather than because of them!

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), February 28, 2002.

The american economy is addicted to "growth" like a drunkard to his alcohol. All America generally thinks about can be traced to the central issue of money. That, my friends, is the true indication of a serious addiction. And in this country, if you dont have the common addiction, you are labeled as "weird" or "dangerous." After all, who in his right mind would be truly happy living on a lower economical level than circumstances dictate?

And in this day of fear of terrorism, all those who seem weird are suspect of being "fundaMentalists" of some sort.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

I read this a while back. My husband and I got a big chuckle out of it. We lead a quiet and fullfilling life here on our little homestead. My husband works in a gated recreational community and over the years some of these "wealthy" people have become our friends. Last fall when a few of them visited us after Gary had his surgery one of the guys looked at us and said......."wow..you live better than us". (he had just been laid off from his high level position and was trying to figure out how to make all his payments)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

A wonderful story !!! People often times see homesteaders in this light too. Why would you want to cut and chop 20 tons of logs to keep warm...get central heat !! Plant a garden and feed your family yourselves. You can work more on the job that you hate to buy the bad quality of food for your family to eat that you never see or eat with at the table anymore because you are too busy making the money to get what you and they think they must have to survive. Just heard on the news that more people today are bankrupt than ever before !! I think we must learn to be content in all things.

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), February 28, 2002.

Amen, Helena! My husband sells firewood for a living. One customer we delivered to lived in a brand new house that was so immense that it covered almost all of his lot and was so close to the nieghbors' house that we couldn't fit the truck between the two to put the wood where he wanted it. I'm not kidding! I remember having to help carry all that back there! He asked us all sorts of questions, "Where do you cut your wood? Where do you live? It must be nice living in the country! Do you have chickens? Isn't it nice hearing them crow in the morning! Oh, you have a creek! Any fish in it? Any horses or cows?" etc., etc. ~ ending up with, "You guys are so lucky!" I leaned over and kissed Kenny as we drove away in our battered flat-bed truck.

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 28, 2002.

Another story, in the same vein . . .

A fishing guide and his client are fishing on a lake. The fishing slows down, and the client, being a longtime customer of the guide, asks him how much money the guide made.

When the guide told him his salary, the client was shocked. He said "Look, I know you. You are honest and a very hard worker. I will double your salary if you come to work for me in my factory."

The guide thanks the client with the offer, but declines. When asked why, the guide asks "Look, with all of your wealth, what is the best thing you have in the world to look forward to?"

The client responded with "Why, this fishing trip."

Guide says "Well, I get paid for this fishing trip. And I do it pretty near year round."

-- j.r guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), February 28, 2002.

I've heard it mentioned before that America is about the only country where every person has to work 40-100 hours per week to live and make ends meet. Other countries the people will go to work and put in about 5 hours of work for somebody else and then they have the rest of the day off to work at their own place.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 28, 2002.

Great story Bart. I feel it is all too common. there are people that pay thousands of dollars to fly to where I live to stay in a liscensed fishing lodge, and get whisked about on the river for the chance at catching one of the biggest salmon in the world, and see the breathtaking mountains, that I grew up in. There are thousands of people in this town that never eat salmon, or take the time to look at the mountains. Too often the rain is cursed, and yet this town is in a rainforest. Such is the nature of the ignorant.

-- roberto pokachinni on B.C. N.Coast (pokachinni@yahoo.com), March 04, 2002.