Something different

With polls looking better every day for Obama (+12 and +14 in Ohio in 2 new ones today), and with the news media still salivating about Sarah's shopping spree, I thought I'd put up something less political than thought-provoking about Life Choices. It's been around a while, but I just ran across it again.

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village; an American tourist complimented a Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answer the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the man. 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 an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!" "You should start by fishing longer each day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the bigger 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 businessman.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? That's when it get 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?"

"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, and spend your evening drinking and enjoying your friends."

Ralph