This week my parish St. Dominic offered this parable on its weekly email. I had heard it before, love the irony in it, and thought it worth repeating. I can imagine Jesus smiling at it— our Teacher who warned against building larger barns to store more and more crops and who suggested garnering treasure in heaven. Perhaps this Lent you might “profit” from reading the following story, too.
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An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, “Only a little while.”
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The fisherman asked, “But how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15 to 20 years.”
“But what then?” asked the fisherman.
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The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”
“Millions — then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
– Heinrich Boll
What things do you value most in life?
2 Responses
You just made me smile
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
I’d make you a little gift, but I know you have no room
🍀
Thanks, Joe! I’ll just look at the little green birdhouse you sent me last year! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to you too.