It would appear that I’ve done a great disservice to my children, thus I will not make the same mistake regarding my grandchildren.
Many years ago, while strongly encouraging my kids, I continually pounded the table about the virtues of studying hard and getting a good education.In so doing, my objective was to enable my children to experience the excitement of learning new things as they eventually utilized their newfound knowledge in order to start careers that would be rewarding both financially and personally, while also knowing that their chosen occupations could be of great benefit to their fellow man. Regrettably, I now recognize that my great pontification was basically bunk.
All those years ago, I also observed other fathers trying to improve the golf swings of their 4-year-old children, with dreams of turning their kids into future star players. Nevertheless, that was also just a waste of time.
If they really wanted to succeed in life, what I should have done was teach my kids how to be politicians.
Education? Forget it.
Experience? Not necessary.
My children merely had to learn how to turn on the charm, smile, and promise anything and everything with one objective in mind, to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and/or the United States Senate.And this would be their reward: Cheap healthcare, free parking, extravagant junkets, lifetime pensions, unlimited use of health spas, frequent television and radio time, and of course “legal” insider stock trading.
But perhaps the greatest incentive would have been something like the apparent deal that was recently orchestrated by the senior Democratic Senator from California, Dianne Feinstein, as she convinced her fellow senators to sell 56 buildings that currently house offices for the U.S. Postal Service.
Rumor has it that the sale of the properties will fetch about $19 billion.The interesting point, and what all future House and Senate wannabes should aspire to, is having a spouse who owns the company that will broker the U.S. Postal Service deal.That company is the CBRE Group and that spouse is Richard Blum.A commission of 3% to 6%, or about $1 billion, is definitely quite handsome and will be received by Mr. Blum and Mrs. Blum (Dianne Feinstein.)
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So as I think about it, my many conversations with my children all those years ago about studying hard in order to be successful— in light of the rumored Feinstein & Blum U.S. Postal Service deal — were apparently made in vain.
Therefore, I will now urge my grandchildren to comprehensively study just one book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, hire a great photographer for those close-up moments, and prepare to receive unimagined riches.
That advice, in my opinion, is the best.Wouldn’t you agree, Dianne?
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