"I'm going to be different. Dad climbed Everest. He even wrote a book, and went on tour... Mom won an Emmy. She was one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood. But what do they have to show for it? The three of us are stuck in this lousy two bedroom apartment, and we don't even have a yard! When I grow up, I'm not going to care about travel, adventure or fame. I'm going to be rich!" Wade thought bitterly to himself.
"Have you decided on your topic for the essay, Wade?" asked a kind but firm voice, bringing him back to reality.
"No, Mrs. Martiz. What jobs bring the most money?" asked Wade, still undecided about the path he should take in life.
"Well, there are many high paying careers. What are you interested in?" she asked.
"I'm just interested in having a good life, and having enough money to do what I want." he replied honestly.
A few students snickered. "We all want that." came out in several serious whispers, amongst those who tended to talk in class.
"In my experience, if you find what you are passionate about, you will do it well." said Mrs. Martiz.
"I'm passionate about money." he answered doubtfully, amid outright laughter.
"Class! That's enough, we are having a serious discussion here. Please be respectful. Or perhaps Principal Parth should help explain the importance of respect to you?" she asked, and the room quieted.
"Good. Now Wade, money is not everything. But there are careers devoted to it." she said thoughtfully.
He perked up. "What are they, Mrs. Martiz?"
"Well, a few of them that I can think of include investment advisor, stock trader, and banker. There are others, of course."
"I like the idea of trading!" he said, enthusiastically.
"Then there's your topic." she said, satisfied that he had chosen something more concrete than "a good paying job".
Twenty years later:
Wade sighed. "Doc, I don't want a break. I earn money, and I'm good at it. I barely know what to do with myself on the weekend. If it wasn't for online crypto trading, I'd go stir crazy! he said.
"I know you're good, the proof comes every time I send you a bill." he joked. "But in all seriousness, you aren't even thirty, and you have ulcers, high blood pressure, and are overweight. You need to stop working, and get into living."
"Working is living." Wade pointed out reasonably.
"How much exercise do you get?" the grandfatherly doctor asked, with a sly grin.
"I get enough. I have a three story house, with a big backyard full of the best adult toys money can buy. I have two motorboats, a classic Harley Davidson, and a powerhouse of an ATV. And let's not forget my indoor Olympic size swimming pool, and full gym." Wade beamed proudly.
"Tell me... When is the last time you've used any of those things?" asked the doctor softly.
"Well... I took the Harley around the block a couple of months ago." he admitted, reluctantly.
"You see? My prescription, if you want to live to see your thirtieth birthday, is six months of rest and relaxation. Take a vacation. Do some of those things on your bucket list!"
Wade grinned from ear to ear. "At the top of my bucket list is becoming a billionaire."
"You know what I mean!" exclaimed the doctor, laughing. He gently punched Wade on the arm, and said "Absolutely no money earning during this time. You have enough, spend some on yourself."
"I guess you're right... I am a success. I could actually live well on my interest alone." he admitted, thinking about his time in that cramped apartment.
"I just don't understand how they were so happy in that dump..." he said aloud.
"Sorry?" said the doctor, baffled by the direction of the conversation.
"Oh, it's just this conversation about my taking a break from work. It made me think of my childhood, when I couldn't even have a small allowance, or a dog, like my friends at school. My parents were completely satisfied with that life, right up to my eighteenth birthday."
"What changed their feelings? If you don't mind me asking." he asked, curious.
"I don't mind. A drunk driver changed everything. They were going to the store, to pick up some ice cream and stuff for the party. They had rented the roller rink as a surprise, and all my friends were there. I didn't find that out for like a month."
"Ah... Then that's why you don't want to take a break?"
"No, I don't think that's the reason. I just don't enjoy those things any more." he replied thoughtfully.
"Well, you better start learning to relax somehow. I tell you, you should try the Caribbean. Lay on a beach. It'll do you a world of good."
"I might just try that, thanks Doc. Does the beach have WiFi?" Wade asked, mischievously.
"And leave the laptop and phone at home." he said, laughing.
One month later:
"The doc sure was right about this beach... He was just wrong about the laptop and phone. All I needed was a change of scenery. What a gorgeous place to work from!" Wade thought, as he happily pounded away at the keyboard.
"Oh no, it's down again?!?!" he yelled angrily at his screen, after checking the next tab in his browser. Seconds later, he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his gut. Then blackness.
Sometime later:
"Hello? Are you alright?" asked a young female voice. As his vision came into focus, he made out two bright blue orbs, and golden wisps flying in the warm Caribbean breeze.
"I think so... What happened?" he asked, as his vision cleared.
"I don't know, I heard you yelling and looked over. Then you fell out of your chair, and didn't move." she said, obviously worried.
"Oh. I have ulcers, the pain went through me like a knife." he covered, suddenly caring what this blonde beauty thought of him.
"Wow. That must have been scary!" she exclaimed.
"Believe me, it was. I have no one to watch out for me." he said, trying his best to look pitiful, like an orphaned puppy.
"Well, maybe we will have to do something about that..." she said smiling, then flipped her hair as she turned to leave.
Cover image made in Canva using their gallery
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