I don't want to be rich

Exploring my perspective on money and wealth. Originally sent on January 8, 2024

Hey hey

Today I wanna talk about money.

In a previous email I said "Becoming rich isn't a goal I really care about now."

Well now I'll just say that I don't care about it EVER.

If you ask some people about some of their 2024 resolutions they will be like:

- I wanna make more money.

I have absolutely nothing against money or wealth.

I grew up in a middle-class family with my younger sister.

So I didn’t grow up poor but also didn’t grow up rich. I was in the middle. Or maybe a little lower.

Since we were kids, me and my sister were saving money in two boxes. Sometimes dad or grandma would give us some money and my mom would put it in small boxes in her bedroom.

Sometimes when I was in middle school and had to go out with some of my friends, I was sneaking to my parents' bedroom, opening my savings box and taking some money...

One time I couldn't find the key that opened my savings box, I only found the one that opened my sister's.

And I... I just STOLE some money from it. My sister's money.

Fuck!! Now that I think about it, I feel so bad.

I should have just asked dad or mom.

Stealing money just to go out with my friends and buy snacks.

All that just for a short and "fake" moment of enjoyment and pleasure.

Like "hey waouh I went out with my friends and we bought snacks".

Well fuck that.

I admit that was a mischief. And I really regret it. But I can’t change the past.

So let’s go back to the future… I mean now.

I don’t steal anymore now.

I can feel like someone here is gonna ask me “You sure, huh?”

Yeah dude I am sure.

I also wanna answer a question that was asked millions of times: Does money buy happiness?

Money can buy a house, a car, clothes, diapers for your baby so you don't end up with poop everywhere in the house but it doesn’t buy happiness.

It’s not like I am gonna go to somebody and say “hey give me that happiness… no not that one, the one over there, yeah… no that’s a big one, I want the smaller one”

You know what I mean?

It’s just so stupid to think that money is gonna buy everything.

"Hey guys do you sell friends here? I am looking for one. Thanks." - said nobody ever

Yes I do need money to eat.

Yes I do need money to travel.

Yes I do need money to get a lot of stuff.

But there are also a lot of other things that I think about that have nothing do to with money.

Success for me is just living happily with my wife and kids (wooo a family of my own would be so lovely) and having friends I can easily meet in real life.

That's my success. That's my wealth.

...

Uh... does anybody here have a dollar by any chance?