Ever since time began money, in some form or another, has been a topic of both discussion and exchange between people. It may not have been an actual coin that was in circulation but even bartering of goods was a form of money as they were assigned a value to be traded.
Even today bartering is done in some circles where five doilies and a chocolate cream pie will be traded by Aunt Martha to the old bachelor librarian for a load of firewood. Our church used to hold an annual garbage sale when all the women would bring their stuff and end up trading it back and forth to one another. While no money exchanged hands, things were ascribed a value nonetheless.
In the musical Cabaret they sang “money makes the world go round” and boy is that the truth. And that’s the reason, I have found that the people with money worry about losing it and those without it wish for more of it.
Now Ol’ Dutch is not poor but sure could use a few new dollars around the house these days. And try as I may I cannot get Miss Trixie to get her money out of hiding.
She says she is waiting to see if I am really “the one” before parting with her Lincolns and Franklins and I often remind her that I am at least “a one” but to no avail.
Talking with friends about money and the lack thereof they tried to convince me that “money cannot buy happiness” but I have mainly found out that “happiness cannot buy money.”
Now while a few dollars here and there would really help out what Ol’ Dutch truly needs is “real money.”
Just the other day the Publishers Clearing House sent me the 10,314th letter in my life telling me that I “may be a winner.” Not sure how much they were talking about I read further and discovered that the prize now is a measly $2,500 a week.
Now while that is nothing to sneeze at for sure, by the time you take out 60 percent for the government you are down to about $4k a month. A good share of that will go to the divorce lawyers sure to be calling,  bail money to spring Kenny out of jail and payments for little Penny’s braces. Pretty soon that winner will be back to working for “the man.”
Real money is different. When a person has Real Money they are totally set free from the worries and hassles of everyday life. It used to be that having $1 million was good enough to put you into the next social class but no more.
Now you gotta have multiple millions and an income stream from gas, oil, land, trust funds, stocks, bonds, investments etc. in order to keep your place at the top of the food chain.
Ol’ Dutch has watched his entire life as people with some money try and act like they have real money and it just is not the same. Once you meet your first billionaire you begin to realize there is a difference.
Now I am not saying that a few million would not come in handy but even Johnny Depp ran out of his $400 million pretty quickly.
Money cannot buy some things like a longer life or health and it’s kind of funny that at the end of our lives we are pretty much the same.
So Ol’ Dutch says live it up. Spend it now while you can and next you see Miss Trixie tell her to get it out where we can exercise it. It has to be getting moldy in her bank account by now.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com or on Twitter at TroutRepublic.