I was in the laundromat next to the US Customs office in Friday Harbor for the first time today to do my laundry(tired of going to the filthy place in town, this is a hidden stow away). I washed and dried my clothes and came in to pick them up, with me I brought my copy of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" to read. Two folks were in there that I would say were in their 60's, though the lady looked a lot younger from a distance. We started talking about the view of the harbor from the laundromat and how it could not be beat. They told me they used to have people at Roche Harbor(rich peoples resort on the north side)do their laundry for them, automatically this lead me to believe they must have amassed some sort of wealth to pay someone to wash their clothes.
We started talking further and they shared with me that they were only up here for a few days on their boat in Friday Harbor before heading back down to their home in Seattle and then to their home outside of Bend, Oregon which lead to the conversation of "what do you do for a living?" since I was curious how they could afford two homes plus a boat in Friday Harbor. They informed me that they started a transportation company in Seattle in the late 70's and it has turned into a huge van/Town Car/limo/small airplane business and that they had owned the airport contracts on SJI at one point. Oh, I also found out they have a home in Cave Creek, Arizona as well. So a few homes, a boat and a multi million dollar business out of Seattle I would say these people may have some advice for me in the financial sector. They were kind and pleased to spend the better part of a half hour or so with me. I discovered a few things in the process. Not all rich Republicans are assholes, in fact these folks were rather nice.
They were complaining about the Democrats turning our country into a socialist economy and said that ideally everybody having a home and food to eat is important but not realistic, I quoted them something that a fellow Republican that I used to date suggested "socialism works on paper but in application collapses the economy for all classes", I attempted to keep a neutral view to what they had to say to see if there was something I could learn from all of this. My tye dye, long hair and van seemed to impress them as they had pointed out their boat in the distance I pointed out my van as well. I told them that I left corporate America almost as soon as I got into it with Dow Chemical and "let my hair down a bit" and they seemed rather impressed at how I followed my own heart to get out here. I didn't feel any bit of negative judgement or awkwardness in their energy about the choices I had made to live such an unconventional lifestyle that most right wingers would consider an extreme leftists ideal. It didn't hurt that I had a copy of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" in my hand, as soon as I flashed that at them they started giving me suggestions as to how to increase my wealth. The key things they both seemed to focus on was passion and intuition. Knowing if it's the right business for you and knowing if you are passionate about it. Both had college degrees one had a masters and the other a bachelors but they had suggested that beyond taking a few classes on accounting and business management it's mostly up to you and thinking outside of the box. They suggested I find a financially successful business mentor that I could work closely with. Their plans are now to sell their company to retire and they told me they were offering to sell the company to their manager who has been with them since the beginning because he is passionate and they want to see their business continue to thrive in the Seattle area.
Though our values of having multiple properties, a bunch of material stuff and their attitude that not everyone is meant to eat clash, I would call this encounter a worth while one and would gladly engage in further discussion should I run into them in town or at the laundromat again. What I believe I was being shown here with them is that there is a value in capitalism and in following your passions to build an empire of financial wealth. After all, for people their age they looked damn good and seemed to be enjoying their day on sunny San Juan Island, something I have a hard time doing because of being broke and angry about it. I find myself becoming a medium between the left and right, socialist and capitalist, spiritual and economical. Finding a way to balance all of the above with integrity has seemed impossible to me for so long but after this discussion with these people it has given me the hunger for cash that I haven't had since I was in corporate America but more importantly finding a way to earn it without having to compromise my integrity and be unhappy with the choice I make by getting up and going to a unsatisfying job everyday. There are no accidents or coincidences on the road of life, I was reading a book about becoming financially wealthy without compromising morals and these people happened to be present during this process. Now if I could only let go of the Native American belief that property is not to be owned I'd be a full on capitalist.
I have no doubts that I could be a wealthy and powerful business person, I still haven't found a way to become one while standing my moral ground on less materialism, nobody owns land and people do need to be fed and spiritually assisted but that doesn't mean there isn't a solution out there. A few years ago I had money and was on the fast track to becoming a corporate grunt who could have probably built an empire but without the decision to get on track or "detour" as I once looked at it before realizing that I wasn't detouring, I was just off path I would have only hoarded the money and essentially done everything that I never wanted to do in life. Let the wealth roll in and the passions catch fire once again!
As my pain from the desert below begins to transform I once again start to get in touch with why I came out West to begin with, only now I have more insight and understanding. I want a million employees working for me by the time I'm 30, each one of them named George Washington.
Written: San Juan Island, Washington 2011
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