Cecil John Rhodes said " Make them want" when he spoke of the natives. The want for Gucci, Nike, BMW, bling and all the material crap we can toss at them, including promises of material wealth which is to blame for the corruption theft and all the bad things that go with it. It is easier to convince people with a low IQ that this will make you gain respect.
Wealth has become immoral. My wife was happy with a bunch of flowers I hijacked from a neighbours garden for mothers day. I was shocked to hear that a friends wife was unhappy with the (truly) expensive diamond ear-rings she received. I can afford to drive a decent car, live in a biggish house, but WTF, been there and done that. I am happy living under the radar. I do not have to flaunt material wealth to create an impression.
Make no mistake, I do not say, live like a pauper, I have all the trappings of making “us” comfortable. The flat screen, coffee machine, HDD DVD recorder, electricity and running water, insurance (life and short term) are all present, but I buy clothing at Mr Price and any shop having a sale when I require clothes.
I do not wear any from of jewelry, be it the hippie bangles or gold watches. I at the age 47 (realized I would never ride through Paris in a sports car) do not have a real job (yeah right), two kids 14yrs & 19 months. My children are well cared for and are blessing in my life. My wife understands me. She really does. I have arranged my life so that I do not work during the daylight hours and have ample time to spend honing these two “little children.”
The nature of my not-real “job” has me in contact with cupped hands official on a regular basis. Bribery is part of African life. If you are in the stressful situation and it costs you a fifty buck note to buy your freedom – your choice. I do all in my power to prevent contact with these types, but some days are sunny and some days it rains. I do not own property, and do not have long term debts to pay. The money I make is strictly cash, and my bank account exists purely to furnish the stop orders. I did however learn a hard lesson when it comes to not having medical aid.
I am not a morning person, ask the wife, and I wake up when I wish. My next step is to employ a driver (chauffer). For me , success is not having to have to get out of bed, to find parking, or not having to stand in a queue. Please understand , this is not conducive to creating vast wealth. But you don’t have to live the blues to play the blues. My motto is live well and I mean that in a general feeling of well being, not in the material sense. I have also embraced the idea of having a chauffer, ever since I saw a gentleman in Jo’burg in the seventies on his way to work in a chauffer driven classic Rolls Royce. That was cool. Thats the way I wanted to go to work.
A very dear friend of mine, in the good old days of the Drive-in theatre, said, that if he had to start smoking, he would definitely smoke Peter Stuyvesant, because, boy those guys that smoked that brand had insurmountable fun, skiing, parasailing, jetting around the globe. I sat back and in my youthful brain, declared that I was Gunston man. Lie on the beach and surf all day. I subsequently did have a great career and made and (boo-hoo) lost a lot of money and did full circle to my back to my Gunston lifestyle.
You may wonder who I am, well let me tell you. I am the guy, that when your business fails, I listen to your story. I am the guy that you sit and chat with until four am, because you have a big meeting in the morning which , if it goes wrong you are in the dwang. I am the guy that you celebrate with when that deal you were stressing about goes through. I am the guy that you tell your secrets to and then you wake up in the morning hoping it was an illusion. I am the guy that you tell about how well you are doing and the millions you are making. I am the guy that has to phone you in the early hours, because your wife got “vrot” at the ladies night out party and is in no state to drive. I am the guy that has to calm you down because some fool insulted you and because you are stressed, he becomes the object of everything that is wrong with you. Sound familiar. I am the guy who entertains you with jokes and music without asking anything in return, except that when you are in my company, you have a great time. I am the guy that won’t lie for you. I am the guy that shared your personal loss and tried to make sense of it while we cried until the sun came up. I am an honest hard playing people loving person. I am the guy who as I am writing this, should be getting to work, as I start at nine in the evening and end whenever you feel like it.
That was my choice and I do it pretty well. It is not all a bed of roses, but I can tolerate the occasional thorn. I am the guy that does exactly as he pleases. (Not in a weird way!) I am the guy that they say took the easy way out. I am the guy that agrees with them. I am the person that they say has no ambition. I am sure that my fellow bloggers could give me a whole chapter on the definition of ambition. Guys, what is ambition? Do you know who you are?
I still luv SA and I still hate my government.
Make no mistake, I do not say, live like a pauper, I have all the trappings of making “us” comfortable. The flat screen, coffee machine, HDD DVD recorder, electricity and running water, insurance (life and short term) are all present, but I buy clothing at Mr Price and any shop having a sale when I require clothes.
I do not wear any from of jewelry, be it the hippie bangles or gold watches. I at the age 47 (realized I would never ride through Paris in a sports car) do not have a real job (yeah right), two kids 14yrs & 19 months. My children are well cared for and are blessing in my life. My wife understands me. She really does. I have arranged my life so that I do not work during the daylight hours and have ample time to spend honing these two “little children.”
The nature of my not-real “job” has me in contact with cupped hands official on a regular basis. Bribery is part of African life. If you are in the stressful situation and it costs you a fifty buck note to buy your freedom – your choice. I do all in my power to prevent contact with these types, but some days are sunny and some days it rains. I do not own property, and do not have long term debts to pay. The money I make is strictly cash, and my bank account exists purely to furnish the stop orders. I did however learn a hard lesson when it comes to not having medical aid.
I am not a morning person, ask the wife, and I wake up when I wish. My next step is to employ a driver (chauffer). For me , success is not having to have to get out of bed, to find parking, or not having to stand in a queue. Please understand , this is not conducive to creating vast wealth. But you don’t have to live the blues to play the blues. My motto is live well and I mean that in a general feeling of well being, not in the material sense. I have also embraced the idea of having a chauffer, ever since I saw a gentleman in Jo’burg in the seventies on his way to work in a chauffer driven classic Rolls Royce. That was cool. Thats the way I wanted to go to work.
A very dear friend of mine, in the good old days of the Drive-in theatre, said, that if he had to start smoking, he would definitely smoke Peter Stuyvesant, because, boy those guys that smoked that brand had insurmountable fun, skiing, parasailing, jetting around the globe. I sat back and in my youthful brain, declared that I was Gunston man. Lie on the beach and surf all day. I subsequently did have a great career and made and (boo-hoo) lost a lot of money and did full circle to my back to my Gunston lifestyle.
You may wonder who I am, well let me tell you. I am the guy, that when your business fails, I listen to your story. I am the guy that you sit and chat with until four am, because you have a big meeting in the morning which , if it goes wrong you are in the dwang. I am the guy that you celebrate with when that deal you were stressing about goes through. I am the guy that you tell your secrets to and then you wake up in the morning hoping it was an illusion. I am the guy that you tell about how well you are doing and the millions you are making. I am the guy that has to phone you in the early hours, because your wife got “vrot” at the ladies night out party and is in no state to drive. I am the guy that has to calm you down because some fool insulted you and because you are stressed, he becomes the object of everything that is wrong with you. Sound familiar. I am the guy who entertains you with jokes and music without asking anything in return, except that when you are in my company, you have a great time. I am the guy that won’t lie for you. I am the guy that shared your personal loss and tried to make sense of it while we cried until the sun came up. I am an honest hard playing people loving person. I am the guy who as I am writing this, should be getting to work, as I start at nine in the evening and end whenever you feel like it.
That was my choice and I do it pretty well. It is not all a bed of roses, but I can tolerate the occasional thorn. I am the guy that does exactly as he pleases. (Not in a weird way!) I am the guy that they say took the easy way out. I am the guy that agrees with them. I am the person that they say has no ambition. I am sure that my fellow bloggers could give me a whole chapter on the definition of ambition. Guys, what is ambition? Do you know who you are?
I still luv SA and I still hate my government.
3 Opinion(s):
Bravo Joe. We need more original works. So you are in the phone-in sex business, the one I call at all hours to share my stuff with? No seriously now, wealth is different things to different people. I think if you are honest with yourself, I MEAN BULLET TO THE BRAIN HONEST WITH YOURSELF (as Andrea would say), and your chosen lifestyle affords you the freedoms you desire, then you are wealthy. Period.
LOL LOL Absolutley cool answer. But nay ye fool, I am a bar owner. But what an idea you have given me! Larry Flint, here i cum!!!
JK, don’t forget your amazing sense of humour. I used to think the Camel men were so romantic but I think I’ve graduated to the Gunston brand. May the day never come that I have to resort to nicotene patches. Lol.
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