Not much to write about, so in lieu of something original that might require exerting the effort of thought, here’s a story I read a long while back that has stuck with me. I tried to find the original author (although not too hard) and failed miserably, so apologies if I’m stomping on someone’s copyright.
An American businessman was standing 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.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American asked.
“Only a little while.” the Mexican replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American then asked.
“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.” the Mexican said.
“But,” the American persisted, “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 a siesta with my wife, Maria, and then stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”
The American scoffed, “But you could do so much more with your life! If you spent more time fishing then you would be able to buy a bigger boat.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “Why would I need a bigger boat, senor?”
The American continued, “Well, with a bigger boat you could catch more fish, and make a lot more money. Eventually you might even own a fleet of fishing boats.”
To which the Mexican replied, “But what then, senor?”
“Well, once you were catching enough fish you could form your own company and sell directly to consumers, instead of relying on a middleman. When the time is right you would be able to sell your company and reap millions of dollars in profits.”
“Millions, senor? Then what?”
The American said slowly, “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 guitar with your amigos…”