what money really means and how to get rich_49

_{I read over Joel's e-mail several times. It's in a tiny box on the corner}

_{of my computer screen. My Imagination pictures the Mexican village, on}

_{homes that wind along the tiny roads. He sees a shirtless young, bronzed}

_{Mexican fisherman wearing pale, yellowed linen pants, espadrilles, and a}

_{straw hat. He sees this young man standing on a dock, speaking with a man}

_{almost twice his age. The older man—this investment banker—is dressed}

_{in Docker shorts, Nike sneakers, and a polo shirt.The man is wearing large,}

_{black sunglasses. The Mexican is squinting. My Imagination pictures their}

_{body language. The investment banker: chest forward, shoulders high, his}

_{chin creeping more and more past his toes as his neck stretches, emphasizing}

_{his speech. The young Mexican: resting back on his heels, arms}

_{folded over his chest, his sternum pulling farther and farther away from the}

_{investment banker.}

_{My Imagination wonders whether the investment banker gets it, whether he}

_{understands how ridiculously circular his plan is—his life is. He sees the}

_{frustration in the investment banker. He figures the investment banker chalks up}

_{the lack of enthusiasm to laziness, to stupidity. My Imagination has the banker}

_{storming away,maybe lighting a cigar halfway around the U-shaped bay. He sees}

_{the Mexican just staring at the banker as he lights the cigar and, perhaps, even}

_{talks on a mobile phone. My Imagination sees a young Mexican boy run over}

_{to the fisherman and take his hand. The fisherman and the boy head in the}

_{opposite direction of the banker, who is now walking toward the other end of}

_{the U.The boy and the fisherman don't look over at the banker, and he doesn't}

_{look back at them. They seem to have forgotten about each other, as if their}

_{conversation never existed.They just couldn't understand what money meant to}

_{the other.}

_{"We seem to have taken a turn."}

_{"Be brief, I want to move on with things."}

_{"It's more about you now, isn't it?"}

_{"What do you mean?"}

_{"I'm more empowered by this knowledge, these stories, these experiences.}

_{It's you who's being diminished."}

_{"In what way?"}

_{"The more you experience what I imagine, the less hope there seems to}

_{be for any other life than the one you are leading."}

_{"Yes, escapism doesn't seem to work so well."}

_{desires. But if you know them to be false, I'll have wasted my time}

_{and effort. You'll get depressed."}

_{"The pursuit of affluence, you're saying, will squelch me more than you."}

_{"From what little you've read, I imagine that to be the case.}

_{"Let's see."}