On the Live Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day Charity Circuit

Good morning, Live Better than a Billionaire-a-Holics!

Yesterday, I wrote about the billionaire's charity circuit. It didn't look or sound like much fun . . . and it is certainly expensive.

Yesterday, I also learned how a man spent five dollars (through a donation to the Boy Scouts) to create a valuable gift for another charity. And he had the time of his life doing it!

Here's what happened. The Champions Tour (featuring older male professional golfers) is running its annual event in Concord, Massachusetts, near where I live. This event is the longest running one on this golf tour, and the tournament directors decided to celebrate the event's 25th anniversary yesterday. The key event featured awards for the former champions followed by a reception where they signed memorabilia and dessert was served.

I was watching the golfers warm up on the driving range (a strange objective on a day that would reach 98 degrees with high humidity). Another fan and I started discussing Gary Player's high score on Friday and discovered that we had both followed Mr. Player during the pro-am. With the ice broken, this gentleman began telling me that he had bought a program for five dollars from a Boy Scout and was trying to get every past champion to sign the program. He then planned to donate the program to a charity his wife supports, and he expected that the item would sell for several hundred dollars. That's not bad for an hour's volunteer work while enjoying a golf tournament!

But the best part was the great big grin on his face. The fan was having the time of his life. He knew that he was doing the right thing. I watched as he approached one golfer to ask for an autograph and was turned down. I thought that this rejection would dampen the fan's enthusiasm, but it just seemed to light his fire even higher. I was very pleased for him when I later saw this same golfer in the meet-and-greet event industriously signing everything that anyone put in front of him.

As I thought about the fan and his fun with being charitable, I recalled a story an artist friend of mine had told me about his daughter. She sells the world's finest watches in a very exclusive store in a world-famous shopping area. These watches often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And, they are naturally among the best you can buy.

I asked him who buys these watches. He said that billionaires and near-billionaires were the purchasers. I remarked that these were very expensive gifts to give and wondered about why these rich people were so generous. My friend told me that these amazingly wealthy people hardly ever give such items as gifts . . . they buy the watches for themselves.

"But," I responded, "How can such rich people buy enough watches to allow a store to keep its doors open? Do these people wear 6 watches at the same time?"

He explained that the people who buy the watches are very unhappy people. They come to the store hoping to find something that will make them smile for a few minutes. Soon, the watch or its band will look a little worn . . . and the pleasure will be over. The watch will be retired and never looked at or worn again.

I thought how much more satisfying it was to be the golf fan than to be one of those billionaires and near-billionaires. As for me, I don't even own a watch. I guess I don't have the right stuff to become a billionaire.

Be charitable on five dollars extra a day . . . and enjoy life more!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Be sure to check out my blog dated May 30, 2005 on Plan Your Best Fourth of July! To find that blog, keep clicking on the oldest blog entry you can find in the right hand column until you find the title "Plan Your Best Fourth of July."