if only i had . . .
Even as a child, I can remember coveting things that other people possessed. One day I was playing at my cousin’s house when one of his toys caught my eye. I begged to take it home, and when my parents refused me the pleasure, I cried and created quite a scene.
craving cashmere
While I was helping to organize donations of clothing for a church event, I paused to touch a cashmere sweater’s soft grey cloth. When I realized it would fit me, I considered the possibility of owning it—for free! Volunteers were allowed first dibs on the donations. Cashmere is an expensive fabric, and although I have enough sweaters, this one was calling my name. After some inner turmoil, I finally offered the item to a fellow worker, who joyfully accepted it.
fast cash
About 30 miles outside of Washington, DC, Heather Kelly noticed what looked like “a snow globe of cash” on Interstate Highway 270. An armored truck had failed to secure its rear door, and the money was airborne. Roughly 30 cars lined the highway as motorists pulled over and tried to grab the $5,700 in bills that had escaped the truck. Kelly recalled, “People had fists full of money, fists full of dollars.”
betrayed
If you were to name your newborn son, which of these three names would you choose: James, John, or Judas? You might select James or John, but—undoubtedly—you wouldn’t name your son Judas. You might name your dog Max or Buddy, but not Judas. Even a dog deserves a respectable name!
Judas means praise, but it has become an icon of…
money and happiness
How much money does one need to be happy? According to a study from Princeton University, it’s $75,000 (US dollars) a year. The study claims that the lower a person’s annual income falls below that benchmark, the unhappier he or she will be.
At a recent trip to a rural district in Thailand, however, I saw a lady peddling snacks…
sellout
Anthony Marshall conned his mother out of millions before she died at age 105 in 2007. Her money, advancing age, and struggle with Alzheimer’s disease made her an attractive target. Marshall’s mother was Brooke Astor—famous New York City socialite and keeper of the vast Astor family fortune. Ironically, her senior-citizen son was already wildly wealthy, and yet he conspired with…
be on guard
Last year on Christmas Eve, a New York cab driver found more than $21,000 in cash and jewelry left in his cab by an Italian tourist. He drove more than 50 miles to return the possessions to an address he found in the purse. The woman wasn’t home, so he left a note that contained his phone number. The tourist…
so close, yet so far
The host of a TV quiz show said, “Come up with the missing word at the end of the phrase and spell it correctly, and you’ll win our grand-prize trip to Europe. Are you ready? The phrase is, ‘Old MacDonald had a____.’ And remember, you must spell the missing word.”
The contestant said, “Old MacDonald had a farm.” “All right,”…
risky business
A recent study by the US-based Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving is risky business. The study concluded that the risk of being in a collision is 23 times greater for truck drivers who text. The Institute’s research team is recommending that texting be banned for all drivers.
If Solomon were alive today, he would definitely recommend…
correct change
Making decisions while shopping has never been one of my strong points. I take forever to settle on a purchase, and then all the way from the checkout line to my house, I still question whether or not I got the best deal. Recently, after finishing my shopping, I realized after leaving the store that the cashier had rung up…
treasures
Every day, according to one survey, Americans buy an average of 3,972,603 movie tickets; 1,683,835 songs and albums from online resources; 1,650,000 DVD rentals from Netflix; 978,030 bags of Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet popcorn; 568,764 Titleist golf balls; 443,650 large fries at Burger King; 160,968 bottles of Absolut Vodka; 7,500 Samsung LCD TVs; and 60 Ford Mustangs on eBay. It’s clear…
the great exchange
Haiti is an impoverished nation where 80 percent of its people live in great need. One child in 14 never reaches his or her first birthday; another one in five never lives to the age of 4; and voodoo is practiced across the land. Yet, in the middle of the despair, Haiti is experiencing a revival. Ramshackle churches are being…
our corner of the world
An episode of the TV show M*A*S*H tells the story of a helicopter pilot who operated a side business selling scrap metal on the black market. He paid Korean children next to nothing to collect the metal from battlefields that were littered with land mines. In doing so, many of the children were injured and maimed.
An army surgeon, who treated…
beware
David Wayne Sharpton, 54, has won the Georgia lottery three times—raking in $350,000 in 2004, $1 million in 2005, and $2.5 million in 2007. The repeat winner continues to work at his job as a restaurant-oven repairman, even though his winnings have provided more than enough money for him to retire. "Am I the luckiest man alive?" he asks. "I…
