For What It's Worth

"What used to be worth a lot back in the day doesn't count for much today..."

There was once a young man who left his country in search of a better life. He left everything behind in order to make a new start. All he had with him were the clothes on his back and $2.00. It lasted him a month, as he was very careful with his money and worked two jobs while going to school to learn the new language and customs of his new country.

"It was worth it," he said, because in his old country all he would get for a month was $0.02.

Years passed and the man eventually made $20.00 a month and had a family. Then the war started...

Times changed and a new world began.

When the man passed away, he was very old and his children and grandchildren looked forward to the money they would get. The old man had left a will stating that, $20,000 would be split between the two children and four grandchildren.

Plans to spend the money for travel, car purchases and condo time-shares were made. When the will was brought to the bank the heirs were met with a shock. The $20,000 was not the amount they would get. The old man with his poor eyesight made an error -- $200.00 would be split between them all. The children wondered how this could be and marveled that the old man could only save so little.

Since the children were never in touch with him (his first wife passing away when the children were young), his second wife taking money after the divorce -- the children never bothered to look after the old man, or his finances.

The banker said blithely, "Money isn't worth what it used to be!" And took his share of the money for his transaction fee.

Only $125.00 was left and the rest of the family grudgingly decided to go out for dinner as a final goodbye, since they hardly spoke to each other.

They still had to pay for the funeral -- even cremation was expensive!

They hadn't spared another thought for the old man, their own kin, who had managed to save $200.00, after all his living expenses were paid.

The dinner was $176.00 (with 10% tip) and did not sit well in their stomachs.

Neither of the children thought of their own futures or what they'd leave behind for their children or grandchildren. None of them thought to give thanks to the old man who remembered them, ungrateful children that they were, as he was careful to save even that much through his sacrifice of clothing and other amenities.

The old man never went out to dinner but cooked his own food. He was dressed in shabby clothing and though others complained of his appearance, he only said, "I am warm enough at least."

He told his story of having only $2.00 with him when he made his new life, but nobody listened. $2.00 didn't pay for much these days -- not even for a Sunday paper, which nobody reads anymore.

The old man was lonely but never complained, finding his enjoyment by reading books from the library and when his eyes failed him he would sit outside and watch the people go by, though there were less and less of them because they now sat inside their homes glued to TV and computer screens.

The old man would remember how life used to be, when simple things like socializing at lodges and playing board games was the pastime. When meat could be bought at $0.25 a pound and when a day's labor lasted throughout the month instead of a week.

The old man thought about his children and grandchildren, worrying at how much they would always spend on things that didn't matter -- fancy cars and expensive toys for the children. It had been so long since he had seen them.

The old man who was once young, had worked hard for the scarce social security that barely paid his rent and utilities.

Every evening the old man would scrounge for cans in the area dumpsters and take them to recycling every Friday.

"Payday today!" he would joke to the unsmiling worker who always had his earbuds on and never listened to a word he said. The old man would make conversation and the young worker would nod once then start to fiddle around on his phone.

The old man left with his check, $2.50, and saved this every week ($10.00 a month), which mostly went to food when his VA benefits were cut. A WWII veteran who had always served his country, now lived in an SRO, with no retirement, stocks, bonds or life insurance. After all expenses were paid it took 3 years for him to save $200.00, which he willed to his family.

His health declined and he could no longer search for cans. Hospital bills, medicine and other charges, left him penniless at times even when he managed to save enough to put into the bank. Under the scrutinizing stare of the associate woman, he made his meager rolled-coin deposits, who then told him, "I'm sorry, we don't accept coins or cash for deposits anymore. You must have direct deposit or make your deposits online or on your mobile phone." When the old man explained he had none of these the bank associate shrugged and shouted, "Next in line please!"

The old man saved what he could at home after that.

The old man marveled at how people who had so much counted the things that mattered so little.

Fancy cars almost hit him on the crosswalk as the careless drivers were busy talking on cell phones. Women brushed by him rudely and almost knocked him over in their hurry, arms filled with shopping bags of merchandise from expensive department stores that shipped their overpriced goods from the country he had left as a young man.

The old man rested on a park bench that had iron bars over it with a placard that read, "Park Code 6093.6, Violators subject to $200.00 fine". It was a very uncomfortable bench and he couldn't imagine anyone wanting to sleep on it.

"Spare a dollar?" A black homeless woman walked toward him but when the old man handed over all he had, a quarter, the homeless woman scoffed and grudgingly put it in her pocket before walking off in a hurry. The old man looked up at another sign, "Panhandling Violation fine: $75.00, City code 2065.1" and shook his head.

The old man went home alone to his solitary room and made some tea. He sat down at his make-shift desk/kitchen/bed-table and wrote a letter that would be a will to his children and grandchildren.

The old man died the next day, peacefully in his sleep. His obituary was paid by the last surviving members of Veteran's in WWII, where he'd served and received a medal for his bravery that was later sold to pay a portion of his medical bills.

The small obituary was placed in the local newspaper that hardly anyone noticed.

No other memorial of the old man remained, save for that of the letter he wrote to his children...

Dear Family,

I am leaving all I have to give to all of you, $20,0.00.

What used to be a lot back in the day, doesn't count for much today...

This I have seen with my own eyes, while gazing at this strange wold around me. So much has changed since when I first came over here from China, though I'm not sure it is for the better.

Please take care of yourselves and remember what truly matters in this world:

Health, Wisdom and Happiness.

How you acquire this is up to you, though you cannot count any of these with bits of paper or gold, but in the number of years you have lived through bad times and good, through trials and storms and ultimately through your own soul's salvation. We cannot acquire true happiness in this world of material things but in the next where the true treasure lies.

Many blessings to you all!

Love,

Charles W.

Author's Note

In a way, I am very much like this old man in my story, watching the world around me and wondering what the heck people are wasting their lives for.