Navigation
Past Articles
This form does not yet contain any fields.
    « AN ALLEGORY FOUND | Main | PARTY TALK »
    Friday
    Jan062017

    IT'S ONLY MONEY

     

     

    “I’m proud of my gold pocket watch. My Grandfather, on his deathbed, sold me this watch.”  Woody Allen.

    Twenty years ago, a woman in my neighborhood told me that her father-in-law, a man of enormous wealth, had died at the ripe old age of 103.  His young, devoted granddaughter had become his caregiver during his declining years, and in gratitude, he had bequeathed her all of his millions. This would have afforded her a carefree life of ease and leisure, but there was a caveat in the will. Grandpa had left her a fortune to be collected upon the death of her parents.

    Unfortunately, longevity runs in the family.  A couple of years ago, her father died in his late 90’s, and the not-so-young-anymore woman is looking after her little, old Mom, who is as active as the Energizer Bunny.

    No longer a spring chicken, the grand daughter is now entering the Social Security zone of life, and by the time she sees any money, she will probably be a spinster on Medicare. A cruel will indeed!  The only saving grace is that as John Dryden said, “All heiresses are beautiful.”

    I have met people who look forward to giving money to their children, but only after they die, and then, many times the children enter litigious relationships with each other. Fair enough, since, “We often pay for the mistakes of our ancestors, and it seems only fair that they should leave us the money to pay with.” Don Marquis.

    My Mother, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet believe that, “It’s better to give with a warm hand than a cold one.” It’s well known that for some, money is an aphrodisiac. Once, on a cruise, I met a honeymoon couple that had eloped. He was 85, and had married his beautiful 21-year-old manicurist.  I guess that she had given him one heck of a manicure to convince him to marry her, and tell his kids only after they returned home. Surprise!

    At the spa, she complained to fellow passengers that she was disappointed that he wasn’t as rich as he had led her to believe, but I guess there was enough money there, because she had him panting after her up and down the stairs. The last time I saw them was when she signed both of them up for a scuba diving adventure ashore.

    I know she never heard of Honore Balzac, because she read the same National Enquirer at poolside during the whole trip, but he would have advised, “To kill a relative of whom you are tired is something. But to inherit his property afterwards, that is genuine pleasure.”

    I’m not sure that,” Money is the root of all evil,” because I think that where, when and how you plant those roots makes all the difference. Of course Gregory Nunn said, “If you really want to know what your friends think of you, die broke, and then see who shows up for the funeral.”

    Esther Blumenfeld (“Die and endow a college or a cat.”) Alexander Pope

    PrintView Printer Friendly Version

    EmailEmail Article to Friend

    Reader Comments

    There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

    PostPost a New Comment

    Enter your information below to add a new comment.

    My response is on my own website »
    Author Email (optional):
    Author URL (optional):
    Post:
     
    Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>