There are some things you just can't buy. For everything else....there's MasterCard. Or something like that. (This entry is meant to be read while listening to the YouTube video below)
I read that Jim Carrey once said that he wishes everyone could have every single dream of theirs come true monetarily and be able to buy anything because they would just find out that it's over hyped and not that big a deal.
At any rate, yes, you can buy things - but you still have problems. Like - the Ebay executive running for governor who is being smeared for hypocrisy for hiring an illegal. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100930/ap_on_el_gu/us_california_governor_housekeeper
I haven't ever been a millionaire. But I did live a good life in the service. Sports car. Entertainment center. Motorcycle. World travel. Fun nights out. Great food. Nice hotels. Scenic vistas, views and vistas of views. And I've tried to run from my problems by spending money. It doesn't work. For a while it will but the problem comes back still.
What would I do if I had a million dollars? I'm not sure. I'd have a farm for sure and fix my van so my wife could get around better. Sometimes I prefer not to have things. They clutter my house. Sometimes I'd rather go see them on display in a way I can't display them in my house, and then not buy them, save the money, not have to take care of them, have room for something else, but still be able to say I saw whatever it was.
Even without a million dollars I've been around the world, learned to fly, seen a sonic boom, defended my country, have a really nice firearms collection, mapped the Barlow Trail over Mount Hood using just a compass and a map, swam in almost every ocean in the world (Arctic and Indian haven't happened - been in lots of small seas) - dunked my head in the Mississippi, been to the Mojave Desert, bought a Gold Coin, held treasure from a shipwreck - even bought treasure from a shipwreck, seen some of the largest trees in the world, touched the world's oldest and largest Stitka Spruce Tree before it got blasted by lightening, been through an earthquake, been out at sea on a small craft holding on for my life with five tornados (sea spouts) coming down at me, been in a landmine field, sold life insurance policy, earned my Eagle Scout Award, learned to metal detect, graduated from college, been in a fight where I took down three people singlehandedly while defending against another three, written a personality theory that crosses every single mental disorder and even works for describing behavior in the middle of a schizophrenic episode or a drug induced disorder down to the most profound mental retardation up to the highest functioning mental clarity and even works across all cultures - if I can prove it or depending on how it holds up it will be the only personality decision making model that can do that in the world and I will have explained human behavior - I know I'm going to have to fight to prove it though, swam with a barracuda checking me out and even caught a hammerhead shark fishing, found a crashed airplane while diving, gone rappelling on the Oregon coast, rescued someone out at sea, sank a police car in the ocean and was underwater in it, did a cross Oregon Bike Ride before I joined the military, ran a 5:15 mile, learned how to operate a nuclear reactor, learned how Sumo works (if you're my size you get the heck out of the way and hope he makes a mistake or just gets tired before you do) and seen the Emperor's palace in Tokyo, been to both Atomic Bomb Blast Sites, been into Tijuana - which was kinda cool, Collected almost (almost) every single kind of dollar coin ever made in the US since the 1770's, inhaled marijuana during a controlled burn for my police training, found I really like laughing gas at the dentist, helped send a sex offender back to prison with my professional observations, been on a few submarines and aircraft carriers, learned how to launch aircraft from a navy flight deck, learned seven languages, had a tarantula walk across my hand, served a mission, let a monkey crawl over me, seen a volcano erupt a few times, translated for African Refugees, spent the night in some PRIMO hotels, been a personal escort for the Dallas Cowboy and San Diego Charger Cheerleader Teams (I KID YOU NOT!!!!), had my prayers answered, and married the girl who looked exactly like what I always dreamed my wife would look like and had two amazing children who love me very much.....been to some amazing places...lots of things and so much more.....without a million dollars.
Even without a million dollars I've been around the world, learned to fly, seen a sonic boom, defended my country, have a really nice firearms collection, mapped the Barlow Trail over Mount Hood using just a compass and a map, swam in almost every ocean in the world (Arctic and Indian haven't happened - been in lots of small seas) - dunked my head in the Mississippi, been to the Mojave Desert, bought a Gold Coin, held treasure from a shipwreck - even bought treasure from a shipwreck, seen some of the largest trees in the world, touched the world's oldest and largest Stitka Spruce Tree before it got blasted by lightening, been through an earthquake, been out at sea on a small craft holding on for my life with five tornados (sea spouts) coming down at me, been in a landmine field, sold life insurance policy, earned my Eagle Scout Award, learned to metal detect, graduated from college, been in a fight where I took down three people singlehandedly while defending against another three, written a personality theory that crosses every single mental disorder and even works for describing behavior in the middle of a schizophrenic episode or a drug induced disorder down to the most profound mental retardation up to the highest functioning mental clarity and even works across all cultures - if I can prove it or depending on how it holds up it will be the only personality decision making model that can do that in the world and I will have explained human behavior - I know I'm going to have to fight to prove it though, swam with a barracuda checking me out and even caught a hammerhead shark fishing, found a crashed airplane while diving, gone rappelling on the Oregon coast, rescued someone out at sea, sank a police car in the ocean and was underwater in it, did a cross Oregon Bike Ride before I joined the military, ran a 5:15 mile, learned how to operate a nuclear reactor, learned how Sumo works (if you're my size you get the heck out of the way and hope he makes a mistake or just gets tired before you do) and seen the Emperor's palace in Tokyo, been to both Atomic Bomb Blast Sites, been into Tijuana - which was kinda cool, Collected almost (almost) every single kind of dollar coin ever made in the US since the 1770's, inhaled marijuana during a controlled burn for my police training, found I really like laughing gas at the dentist, helped send a sex offender back to prison with my professional observations, been on a few submarines and aircraft carriers, learned how to launch aircraft from a navy flight deck, learned seven languages, had a tarantula walk across my hand, served a mission, let a monkey crawl over me, seen a volcano erupt a few times, translated for African Refugees, spent the night in some PRIMO hotels, been a personal escort for the Dallas Cowboy and San Diego Charger Cheerleader Teams (I KID YOU NOT!!!!), had my prayers answered, and married the girl who looked exactly like what I always dreamed my wife would look like and had two amazing children who love me very much.....been to some amazing places...lots of things and so much more.....without a million dollars.
Wow. You know, when I worked for Citigroup we used to spend time trying to imagine what we wanted to do with our life. I haven't thought of that in a long time - in terms of money anyways. I'm so focused on the Ph.D. and finishing school and all that jazz that I haven't thought of that in a long time. I just haven't thought about it in so long.
The news article just got me thinking.
If you had a million dollars what would you do? Or what have you done WITHOUT a million dollars that money just couldn't buy?
