Apr 21 2009
Money Gone Mad
In the classic comedy, good law abiding citizens are driven to behavior unlike their usual self. The slapstick and situational comedy may seem extreme, but the truth is that money does make people completely stupid at times. In this case, the finest comic actors and actresses spend over ninety minutes chasing around after hundreds of thousands of dollars only to see it go flying through the air.
Even the most sensible people can be overcome with the fear of becoming homeless, or old and poor, or unable to live up to the expectations of the family. Or they will want, and not know the end of their desires. Only money can buy things to throw into that hole, that emptiness. So they will go to extra lengths to bring in extra money, legal or not, ethical or not.
Look at the young city clerk in a small town in Minnesota. She liked “things,” helped herself to thousands of dollars of city funds. In the end, she wound up in jail, has a rap sheet, and lost the respect of many of her fellow small town citizens. Most of all, she has to pay back the money and can not find a decent job, as her criminal record works against her. She was on the move upward in city administration, but kissed it goodbye. What a loss for both her and the profession.
In another nearby town, a young accountant went to work for a local hometown hardware store. He slowly took money off the account, to the tune of $80,000. When it became apparent that he was going to be caught, he went home that night and put a bullet through his head. For some reason, he let money rule his decisions, to a terrible end.
In Anchorage, a man who couldn’t control his drug habit, helped himself to his employers funds, then swindled out a customer. The result: more surprising than you might think. The police, overwhelmed by more physical crimes, concluded that it was a civil matter. The employers knew that the former employee had no money and the stress to follow through with a lawsuit was too stressful for the male owner. In the end, the swindled man sued the employers, who had to settle.
Money makes people foolish. So few people keep their wits about them concerning money that it is almost unreal. This doesn’t have a darn thing to do with investing or saving, it has to do with attitude. What is yours? Is it one you have kept in perspective? Can you live with money or without it without committing crimes or unethical behavior? It’s important that you know, because it dictates how your live your life. And if you don’t live your life with dignity and decency, then no amount of money will fix it.
It’s just something to think about for the day.
