Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Four hundred years ago, English historian Thomas Fuller wrote that "riches enlarge rather than satisfy appetites."  It seems there’s always a desire for more.  Nowhere is that more apparent than in the United States.  In the end, your things become the owners of you.  Why not invest in your family instead?  Take the time to invest in your children, your wife, your birth family and even your friends.  I wish I had taken even more time to do that, and I thought I was doing pretty well at the time.

One of the things in America that I find so disturbing is the lack of connection we have with one another, and our "things" seem to facilitate that lack.  Loneliness predominates hugely in our society that values things more than people.  We interface with our video games and facebook “friends” rather than sitting across the table from a real person and finding out what is really on their mind and in their heart.  What is the comparable measure of a good hug versus getting a “like” on facebook!!!

And it's not just our preoccupation with money and things that's distressing.  How many times have you said “How are you” to someone?  And the answer is always “Doing well.”  How true do you think that is?  How often do you just turn to the next person and give or get the same answer?  How often do we take the time to really talk and know what’s going on in someone’s heart and mind?  How do we show we care?  Do we follow through with more than just platitudes and a few words?  I know I am certainly guilty of all these things.

Someone once said: "the real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money."   I’ve always loved Eric Clapton’s version of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” but the lyrics place the emphasis on money while its real theme is being loved for who you are and not what you spend and the things you own.  Sorry, he who dies with the most toys does not win anything.