inspired by the thread "If trading's not leisure, why be a trader? http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29666&perpage=6&pagenumber=1" http://www.unwind.com/jokes-funnies/profession/busiadvice.shtml BUSINESS ADVICE The American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large Yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor." The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, señor?" The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." "Millions, señor? Then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
Gotta Love It !!! I voted fisherman - but actually it all depends on the person and what they enjoy most - just as the fisherman wouldn't be happy with the businessman's life the businessman may not be happy with the fishermans life either. Pick your pleasure. Cool story Harry - thanks for sharing it!
This is fine if you want to fish and drink wine with your friends. All the successful people I know love what they are doing. Retirement is the last thing on their mind.
IMO, this most excellent story isn't about retirement. It is simply about reaching a point where you can say "Enough! I have what I need to be fulfilled and content with myself and my situation in life." That is a very enviable goal.
I chose othrer, but I am very close to choosing fisherman. Let me explain: The problem with that story is not too uncommon here in the United States. I remember when there were many mom and pop shops, small businesses that were run very well, and had a very personal style to them. Coffee shops, bakery shops, sandwich shops, barber shops. The list goes on. Then comes along the Starbucks, the Subways, the SuperCuts, the list goes on. They drive the small business man into the ground because the cannot compete on price. So they have to compete some other way. People think that the rest of the world is worried about America because of their values, like jeans, or because of the "commercialization" of sex on our TV, or the countless other things that America has pushed to the extreme. I say that most people in the rest of the world are worried sick more because there are many that like the simple life of working for themselves to provide just enough to be able to live. So they work to live, not live to work. Once you let Americans in, you are competing with people that take efficiency to the extreme. This efficiency is seen as a virus by the rest of the world, and is sold by America to the rest as "progress." We in this country are sold on wars like Iraq because Hussein was bad. You really think it is about Hussein? IT IS ABOUT MONEY, and the people in charge of getting more of it. Capitalism has an unquenchable thirst to keep selling and growing. Look at the scandals recently with the cooking of accounting statements. The people that get put in these positions of leadership are the ones that best sell the motto "I will raise shareholder value." These problems are a reflection of what we value, and then are astonished by their dishonesty. Anyway, I am turning into Jack Hershey/Grob with my soliloquies. nitro
I turned out to be a fisherman. Just by serendipity. I got to learn the value of money by working my way through school. Then a person (faculty department head) told me how to get money (he leafed the WSJ with me for an hour). Thus I was given the picture of freedom which told me I was finished with the work ethic part of my life. Freedom reigns. Sleepâ¦..I stay refreshed but do not sleep muchâ¦naps and rest periods mostly Fishâ¦â¦.Twin path float aroundâ¦â¦A. create and problem solve as best use of time and B. appreciate capital very rapidly to always have a supply of money. Play with kidsâ¦None possible.. pt teach for 10 years, discovered we COULD have kids after allâ¦. Siesta with wifeâ¦.do what we wanted anytime we wanted Villageâ¦. live where we wantedâ¦even mostly off the netâ¦self sufficiently, farming (1759 residence)⦠Wineâ¦..enjoy it also, make itâ¦. Musicâ¦.enjoy it also, participate.. Amigosâ¦..working with teams of problem solversâ¦. write up resultsâ¦.water, air, land, energy, peace⦠many academic fieldsâ¦sports..culture..