Tuesday, August 26, 1997
Life is Good (Right
Now)
by
[email protected]
I first stumbled onto the Gardner Boys' little island of investing sanity just about the time my first child, Danielle, was born. Since then, both Danielle and Fooldom have grown considerably, and I've welcomed my second daughter (Lea) into the world.
The Foolish creed of investing with minimal daily stress, maximum educational effect, and a long-term perspective is, I believe, the way to go. This investor value system also fits perfectly with the dual parental tasks of providing for your children's future while maximizing the time you spend merely hangin' out with the little rascals.
I also confess to spending considerable internal time fantasizing about when both the above goals have been realized. I visualize the kids are off to college (paid for by the fruits of my Foolishness), and I am on the beach soaking up the good life. Mission accomplished! Another Molson please!
You would think that nothing could be better than collecting on your game plan, living well, and leaving the world behind. But consider; why does the old gentleman at the Texaco station look at my kids in the back seat like they are made of gold, and tell me to enjoy them because they are a treasure. Also, if all of us Fools are in for the long haul and wish to avoid the daily gyrations of the wise, why do we get itchy if we don't sign on to Fooldom each and every day? Could it be that getting there, whether it's the beach or an empty nest, is somehow more gratifying than actually being there? When we all have $2.6 million in our 401(k)s, will we long for the days when we only had $50,000 and AOL's market cap was somewhere south of $100 billion? I think we might.
I read an article once that described how a father carried his sleeping son into the house from the car. The thing he didn't know until months later was that was the last time it would ever happen. His son had grown enough that he didn't want or need to be carried any more. The father said he wished he knew it was the last time; he felt it was unfair for it just to end like that. He wanted to carry his son like that just once more, turn back the clock and relive the moment.
The secret is that the best time is right now, whether it's changing a diaper at 2 A.M., or selling a position at a loss. I intend to enjoy my kids, my wife and my life and not think too much about when any of it ends. To worry would be the Wise thing to do, and right now I feel very Foolish. Ahhh -- Life is Good!
Dan McDermott