Nobody asked me but…
I’m on the fringe watching conversations take place (you couldn’t do that – watch a conversation - before Al Gore invented the Internet!). Twitter and Facebook offer a lot of opportunity for expression and transparency – not always well thought out, however. Or, maybe that’s an unfair statement since I have more than 140 characters to try and make my point.
If you go back a few post you can get a little of my historical perspective. I certainly don’t wish to be taken out of context but I just find it bothersome that some people have such a narrow view that rather than asking “what did you mean by that?” or “Would you care to expand on that thought?” they simply strike – with words. In essence “you’re wrong and I’m right – end of story.”
Somewhere in “Christianity” – where, I don’t know – came a viewpoint that poor = good and rich = bad. Perhaps it was to make the destitute feel better about their financial position. Or, could it have been an effort to pick the pockets of the well off? I don’t know, I didn’t start the rumor. I’ve heard the bible misquoted to say that “Money is the root of all evil” although we all know that it actually says “The love of money is the root of all evil.” By the way, you can commit that sin without a dime in your pocket! I might also add that “rich” and “poor” seem to be moving targets – kind of like the word “fair.”
Is there a moral amount? What is it? It seems that the answer depends on who you’re talking to. One theme that seems to be consistent in the conversation is that it’s always a little higher than the income of the person you’re talking to. I find that interesting. If they make 40K that’s OK but those making 50K are pushing the limit. But, when you talk to someone making 50K, their sure to admonish you to watch out for those making 60K. It’s really hard to keep a spiritual head on your shoulders when you’re rolling in that kind of dough.
You the reader may be – probably are – more well read than I but I’ve never found anywhere in my bible a permissible number of pesos, rupees, yen, won, baht or dollars that makes me more or less acceptable to Christ. I do, however, find many principles regarding how to handle money in my bible. I’ve also found – as have many – that when I follow the principles outlined in that book life goes better than when I do it my way.
As a child I’ve been homeless for brief periods, hungry frequently and always broke (I consider “broke” a financial condition and “poor” an attitude). Growing up in this condition and in church, while the prayers and hugs and conversation were appreciated the only reason I’m able to sit and type out this note is the invitations to lunch and dinner. Those invitations came from folks who were better off financially than our household. (And, I assure you, were the physical answer to a hungry child’s prayer!) Perhaps this would be a good time to say “thank-you” to those families in Collegedale, TN. Of particular note and at the risk of leaving some out, there were the Myers, Watsons, Gerharts and Shultz’ families. (None of whom I have had contact in nearly forty years)
Those were some learning years (4th – 8th grades). In retrospect I note that I was often in their homes but they were seldom (if ever) in mine. Could it be that they were gracious enough to include me in their family events – swimming/skiing at Lake Harrison, camping, etc so I could learn things that would help me to be successful as an adult? And, perhaps they didn’t want their kids learning from me? Likewise in Denver, CO. I would never have survived my two years of high school without the similar benefits bestowed by the Olson’s and Ordelheide’s.
As an adult, when I’m doing it His way, I’ve been blessed tremendously (see my post “Giving Dangerously”). From that blessing we’ve been able to do crazy things anonymously. We’ve paid a family’s electric bills, donated room air conditioners to a heat stressed family, given more food gift cards than I remember. I like to think that maybe God has used us to be the answer to someone’s prayer the way He used others to answer mine. I do know, however, that you can’t give away something you don’t have (unless you’re congress).
With all that said, here is the quote that started the fire storm “broke people can’t help poor and hurting people.” - Dave Ramsey. Surrounding this quote was a story that added a lot of context (that would have required a lot more than 140 characters). Personally, I found the quote impactful and not designed to offend but more to inspire the people who were listening. The audience was a very large group of people who strongly desired to learn how to handle money God’s way. Might I suggest that the quote is true particularly in this regard? You may consider yourself broke by the standard against which you measure yourself but to the homeless man you take to lunch you might as well be Bill Gates.
In closing (been running my mouth and fingers way to long), God requires 100% of my prayers (...no other gods before me, pray without ceasing). He requires 10% of my resources (Not because he needs the money but because he wants my obedience. It's ALL His anyway.) What I do with the rest of it is up to me. If I spend it by Master Card's or Visa's plan I have 9% - 30% less resources to provide for my family or to be available to answer His call. Hmmm...
Nobody asked me, but…
John Godfrey Saxe may have had a pretty good handle on this when penned:
“The Blind Men And The Elephant”
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The First approach'd the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, -"Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"
The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"
The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he,
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Then, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
MORAL.
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Return On a Twenty-five Cent Investment
On March 5, 1976, about 4:30 AM my fiance (now bride of 33 years) picked me up from my basement appartment and gave me a ride to my recruiters office in Boulder, CO. As the snow fell, we kissed the first of many navy induced goodbyes. She returned to Longmont and this two time high school dropout headed to Denver with his recruiter to be sworn in.
There was no Harvard or Yale in my future. But, the navy was offering something that no other employer was offering me at the time - opportunity. By the time 1983 rolled around I was visably excelling in my chosen career. I had been promoted to to Pettty Officer First Class (E-6) for a couple of years and was headed for shore duty as an instructor of basic electricity and electronics.
In 1984 or 1985 I was car pooling to work (NTC San Diego) with Bob Sholes. Now Bob was a pretty sharp guy and had decided to start taking some college classes. Being frugal with his money he had searched for and found a used book store where he could get a text book he needed. We stopped there on the way home and he bought his text book. On the way out of the store I spotted a paperback in a stack of books laying with its binder title upside down.
I'm not sure what drew me to it although I had heard of the title before. It was not marked so I asked the store owner "how much?"
"Twenty-Five cents" he replied.
I reached in my pocket and experienced one of life's embarassing moments... "Bob, I'm broke. Can I borrow a quarter?"
For twenty-five cents I bought the second edition of "The Incredible Bread Machine." I've never seen the first edition and it's nothing like the third edition. I got home, sat down on the couch and began reading. It was incredible. I couldn't put it down. It made so much sense. It was historical, factual, well researched and footnoted. It should be required reading for history, civics, American Goverment. Middle schoolers can understand it, high school and college students could do countless studies and papers on it. However, it is over the heads of most congressional seat holders in both the house and senate.
I've long been an advocate for smaller and less intrusive government. I taught my sons that the first place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. To have a friend you must first be a friend. Cliche' but true.
Unless you just stumbled on to this page you know that after retiring from the navy I became self-employed. Our business has been blessed for nearly ten that we have worked out of our home. This past Friday I signed a multi-year lease on 1800 sqft of office/warehouse space. My hope is that even in this present, government induced down turn in the economy that my business will continue to grow and that I will be able to hire on some technical support thus improving someone else's personal economy.
If you read my previous post you'll understand that I believe people vote daily with their hard earned dollars to keep you in business or put you out of business. It's called the free market and is driven good or poor business practices - not political boycotts or government regulations. "The Incredible Bread Machine" did an incredible job of expanding my mind. I wish I could post it in its entirety but since I can't, I will post the poem with which the book ended.
Nobody Asked Me, but... America's best days are yet to come!
The Incredible Bread Machine
By R.W. Grant
This is the story of a man whose name
Was a household word: a man whose fame
Burst on the world like an atom bomb;
Smith was his last name; first name Tom.
Now, Smith, an inventor, had specialized
In toys, so people were surprised,
When they found that he instead
Of making toys, was BAKING BREAD!
The way to make bread he'd conceived
Cost less than people could believe!
And not just make it! This device,
Could in addition, wrap and slice!
The price per loaf, one loaf or many,
The miniscule sum of under a penny!
Can you imagine what this meant?
Can you comprehend the consequent?
The first time yet the world well fed,
And all because of Tom Smith's bread.
A citation from the President,
For Smith's amazing bread,
This and other honours too,
Were heaped upon his head!
But isn't it a wonderous thing,
How quickly fame is flown?
Smith, the hero of today,
Tommorow, scarcely known!
Yes, the fickle years passed by,
Smith was a millionaire,
But Smith himself was now forgot,
Though bread was everywhere...
People, asked from where it came,
Would very seldom know.
They would simple eat and ask,
"Was not it always so?"
However, Smith cared not a bit,
For millions ate his bread...
And everything is fine, thought he,
I am rich, and they are fed!
Everything was fine, he though,
He reckoned not with fate.
Note the sequence of events,
Starting on the date,
On which the business tax went up.
Then, to a slight extent,
The price on every loaf rose too:
Up to one full cent!
"What's going on!" the public cried,
"He's guilty of pure plunder!
He has no right to get so rich
on other peoples hunger!"
(A Prize cartoon depicted Smith,
With fat and drooping jowls,
Snatching bread from hungry babes,
indiferrent to their howls!)
Well, since the public does come first,
It could not be denied
That in matters such as this,
The Public must decide!
So Anti-Trust now took a hand,
Of course, it was appalled
At what it found was going on.
The "Bread Trust" it was called.
Now this was getting serious,
So Smith felt that he must
Have a friendly interview
With the men in Anti-Trust.
So hat in hand, he went to them.
They'd surely been misled;
No Rule of Law had he defied.
But then their lawyer said:
"The Rule of Law, in complex times,
Has proved itself deficient.
We much prefer the Rule of Men,
It's vastly more efficient!
Now let me state the present rules,"
The lawyer then went on,
"These very simple guidelines,
You can rely upon:
You're gouging on your prices if
You charge more than the rest.
But it's unfair competition if
You think you can charge less!
"A second point that we would make
To help avoid confusion...
Don't try to charge the same amount,
That would be Collusion!
You must compete. But not too much,
For if you do you see,
Then the market would be yours -
And that's Monopoly!
Price too high?
Or Price too low?
Now, which charge did they make?
Well, they weren't loath to charging both,
With Public Good at stake!
In fact, they went one better!
They charged "Monopoly!"
No muss, no fuss, oh, woe is us!
Egad, they charged ALL THREE!
"Five Years in jail," The Judge then said
"You're lucky it's not worse!
Robber Barrons must be taught,
Society comes first!"
Now bread is baked by government.
And as might be expected,
Everything is well controlled.
The Public well protected.
True, loaves cost a dollar each,
But our leaders do their best!
The selling price is half a cent..
Taxes pay the rest.
There was no Harvard or Yale in my future. But, the navy was offering something that no other employer was offering me at the time - opportunity. By the time 1983 rolled around I was visably excelling in my chosen career. I had been promoted to to Pettty Officer First Class (E-6) for a couple of years and was headed for shore duty as an instructor of basic electricity and electronics.
In 1984 or 1985 I was car pooling to work (NTC San Diego) with Bob Sholes. Now Bob was a pretty sharp guy and had decided to start taking some college classes. Being frugal with his money he had searched for and found a used book store where he could get a text book he needed. We stopped there on the way home and he bought his text book. On the way out of the store I spotted a paperback in a stack of books laying with its binder title upside down.
I'm not sure what drew me to it although I had heard of the title before. It was not marked so I asked the store owner "how much?"
"Twenty-Five cents" he replied.
I reached in my pocket and experienced one of life's embarassing moments... "Bob, I'm broke. Can I borrow a quarter?"
For twenty-five cents I bought the second edition of "The Incredible Bread Machine." I've never seen the first edition and it's nothing like the third edition. I got home, sat down on the couch and began reading. It was incredible. I couldn't put it down. It made so much sense. It was historical, factual, well researched and footnoted. It should be required reading for history, civics, American Goverment. Middle schoolers can understand it, high school and college students could do countless studies and papers on it. However, it is over the heads of most congressional seat holders in both the house and senate.
I've long been an advocate for smaller and less intrusive government. I taught my sons that the first place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. To have a friend you must first be a friend. Cliche' but true.
Unless you just stumbled on to this page you know that after retiring from the navy I became self-employed. Our business has been blessed for nearly ten that we have worked out of our home. This past Friday I signed a multi-year lease on 1800 sqft of office/warehouse space. My hope is that even in this present, government induced down turn in the economy that my business will continue to grow and that I will be able to hire on some technical support thus improving someone else's personal economy.
If you read my previous post you'll understand that I believe people vote daily with their hard earned dollars to keep you in business or put you out of business. It's called the free market and is driven good or poor business practices - not political boycotts or government regulations. "The Incredible Bread Machine" did an incredible job of expanding my mind. I wish I could post it in its entirety but since I can't, I will post the poem with which the book ended.
Nobody Asked Me, but... America's best days are yet to come!
The Incredible Bread Machine
By R.W. Grant
This is the story of a man whose name
Was a household word: a man whose fame
Burst on the world like an atom bomb;
Smith was his last name; first name Tom.
Now, Smith, an inventor, had specialized
In toys, so people were surprised,
When they found that he instead
Of making toys, was BAKING BREAD!
The way to make bread he'd conceived
Cost less than people could believe!
And not just make it! This device,
Could in addition, wrap and slice!
The price per loaf, one loaf or many,
The miniscule sum of under a penny!
Can you imagine what this meant?
Can you comprehend the consequent?
The first time yet the world well fed,
And all because of Tom Smith's bread.
A citation from the President,
For Smith's amazing bread,
This and other honours too,
Were heaped upon his head!
But isn't it a wonderous thing,
How quickly fame is flown?
Smith, the hero of today,
Tommorow, scarcely known!
Yes, the fickle years passed by,
Smith was a millionaire,
But Smith himself was now forgot,
Though bread was everywhere...
People, asked from where it came,
Would very seldom know.
They would simple eat and ask,
"Was not it always so?"
However, Smith cared not a bit,
For millions ate his bread...
And everything is fine, thought he,
I am rich, and they are fed!
Everything was fine, he though,
He reckoned not with fate.
Note the sequence of events,
Starting on the date,
On which the business tax went up.
Then, to a slight extent,
The price on every loaf rose too:
Up to one full cent!
"What's going on!" the public cried,
"He's guilty of pure plunder!
He has no right to get so rich
on other peoples hunger!"
(A Prize cartoon depicted Smith,
With fat and drooping jowls,
Snatching bread from hungry babes,
indiferrent to their howls!)
Well, since the public does come first,
It could not be denied
That in matters such as this,
The Public must decide!
So Anti-Trust now took a hand,
Of course, it was appalled
At what it found was going on.
The "Bread Trust" it was called.
Now this was getting serious,
So Smith felt that he must
Have a friendly interview
With the men in Anti-Trust.
So hat in hand, he went to them.
They'd surely been misled;
No Rule of Law had he defied.
But then their lawyer said:
"The Rule of Law, in complex times,
Has proved itself deficient.
We much prefer the Rule of Men,
It's vastly more efficient!
Now let me state the present rules,"
The lawyer then went on,
"These very simple guidelines,
You can rely upon:
You're gouging on your prices if
You charge more than the rest.
But it's unfair competition if
You think you can charge less!
"A second point that we would make
To help avoid confusion...
Don't try to charge the same amount,
That would be Collusion!
You must compete. But not too much,
For if you do you see,
Then the market would be yours -
And that's Monopoly!
Price too high?
Or Price too low?
Now, which charge did they make?
Well, they weren't loath to charging both,
With Public Good at stake!
In fact, they went one better!
They charged "Monopoly!"
No muss, no fuss, oh, woe is us!
Egad, they charged ALL THREE!
"Five Years in jail," The Judge then said
"You're lucky it's not worse!
Robber Barrons must be taught,
Society comes first!"
Now bread is baked by government.
And as might be expected,
Everything is well controlled.
The Public well protected.
True, loaves cost a dollar each,
But our leaders do their best!
The selling price is half a cent..
Taxes pay the rest.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Another "F" Bomb
Nobody asked me, but… “It’s not FAIR.”
If you’re a parent of more than one child you’ve heard it before. And, the greater the age difference the more often you probably hear it. There is nearly seven years between my sister and I and as a youngster I said it often. As I recall, when those words were uttered by myself or my boys, it was the result of somehow feeling that I was cheated out of something I “deserved.”
Who decides what’s fair? Again, if you’re a parent and it’s your children, you get to umpire that decision. They’re usually pretty tough ones too. Like:
· Why does she get to stay up past 7:30 PM? It’s not FAIR!
· Why can’t I have a TV in my room? It’s not FAIR!
· Why can’t I have a car? My friends do. It’s not FAIR!
· Why do I have to be home by 10:00 PM? It’s not FAIR!
· I studied my butt off and got a “C.” Jim/Sally didn’t study at all, partied before mid-terms and got an “A.” It’s not FAIR!
The list goes on and I know you get the picture. As parents we understand common rights that are the same for all of our children regardless of the circumstances. We love them unconditionally. We provide for their basic needs (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). We also are able to discern that at different ages our children have different maturity levels and abilities. Therefore, we bestow on them appropriate privileges. And, Jim or Sally probably have different aptitudes for the given subject material. Besides, “who said life was FAIR?”
As parents we have dictatorial powers to ensure compliance to standards. We give and take privileges as warranted by maturity or performance. I don’t ever recall winning or giving into an “it’s not FAIR” argument. Why then, is fairness even a point in the conversation in national issues?
Is it FAIR that Bill Gates lives in a mansion while a Viet Nam Vet lives under a bridge? Now I’m not in favor of people living under bridges and I’ve lived in a car before but fairness has nothing to do with it. You see, fairness is an opportunity issue not an outcome issue. Our “Declaration of Independence” declares that we are endowed by our creator “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Nobody said we’d catch it. The real issue is that nobody can get in the way of our pursuit.
Nobody asked me, but… hears a quick lesson on money.
Money is neither good nor bad. Money is simply a measure of service to others. Left to our own decision making and without outside interference we trade our hard earned dollars for someone else’s product of service. Those who provide the greatest products and services to the most people receive the most in this unit of measure – money. If you provide a poor product or service people vote you out of business by not paying you. This obviously does not apply to government services such as the US Post Office.
The preceding paragraph serves to say that Bill Gates has provided a product that, even though we may complain about it at times we still buy it. There are other operating systems on the market. Our homeless Vet, for any variety of reasons, has not provided a product or service that anyone wants to trade their money for – unless you consider sympathy a commodity. Having said that, please note that I financially support organizations that support veterans. I am a veteran and, “there, but for the grace of God go I.”
My point is simply that no matter how distasteful a situation might be FAIRNESS should never enter into examining the outcome. FAIRNESS need only be examined in terms of did any person or organization stand in the way of the pursuit.
If you’re a parent of more than one child you’ve heard it before. And, the greater the age difference the more often you probably hear it. There is nearly seven years between my sister and I and as a youngster I said it often. As I recall, when those words were uttered by myself or my boys, it was the result of somehow feeling that I was cheated out of something I “deserved.”
Who decides what’s fair? Again, if you’re a parent and it’s your children, you get to umpire that decision. They’re usually pretty tough ones too. Like:
· Why does she get to stay up past 7:30 PM? It’s not FAIR!
· Why can’t I have a TV in my room? It’s not FAIR!
· Why can’t I have a car? My friends do. It’s not FAIR!
· Why do I have to be home by 10:00 PM? It’s not FAIR!
· I studied my butt off and got a “C.” Jim/Sally didn’t study at all, partied before mid-terms and got an “A.” It’s not FAIR!
The list goes on and I know you get the picture. As parents we understand common rights that are the same for all of our children regardless of the circumstances. We love them unconditionally. We provide for their basic needs (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). We also are able to discern that at different ages our children have different maturity levels and abilities. Therefore, we bestow on them appropriate privileges. And, Jim or Sally probably have different aptitudes for the given subject material. Besides, “who said life was FAIR?”
As parents we have dictatorial powers to ensure compliance to standards. We give and take privileges as warranted by maturity or performance. I don’t ever recall winning or giving into an “it’s not FAIR” argument. Why then, is fairness even a point in the conversation in national issues?
Is it FAIR that Bill Gates lives in a mansion while a Viet Nam Vet lives under a bridge? Now I’m not in favor of people living under bridges and I’ve lived in a car before but fairness has nothing to do with it. You see, fairness is an opportunity issue not an outcome issue. Our “Declaration of Independence” declares that we are endowed by our creator “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Nobody said we’d catch it. The real issue is that nobody can get in the way of our pursuit.
Nobody asked me, but… hears a quick lesson on money.
Money is neither good nor bad. Money is simply a measure of service to others. Left to our own decision making and without outside interference we trade our hard earned dollars for someone else’s product of service. Those who provide the greatest products and services to the most people receive the most in this unit of measure – money. If you provide a poor product or service people vote you out of business by not paying you. This obviously does not apply to government services such as the US Post Office.
The preceding paragraph serves to say that Bill Gates has provided a product that, even though we may complain about it at times we still buy it. There are other operating systems on the market. Our homeless Vet, for any variety of reasons, has not provided a product or service that anyone wants to trade their money for – unless you consider sympathy a commodity. Having said that, please note that I financially support organizations that support veterans. I am a veteran and, “there, but for the grace of God go I.”
My point is simply that no matter how distasteful a situation might be FAIRNESS should never enter into examining the outcome. FAIRNESS need only be examined in terms of did any person or organization stand in the way of the pursuit.
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