Wealth

"We can think of the soul not as an entity but as a principle." D.T. Suzuki

"If you follow any religious practice, your mind becomes more compassionate and calm, more peaceful and your mental function becomes more effective." Dalai Lama

It is no secret that I love science fiction and fantasy and I am a strong believer in people having dreams to follow. I was thinking the other day about wealth. What would happen if suddenly you woke up and found yourself a billionaire. My dreams are practical enough to take in inflation. What would you do with that money?

The first thing I would do is have my mother write a letter resigning completely from her job. No more working. I would make sure her account had enough money to pay for any and all medicine that she would need for the rest of her life. I would take her to the top specialists in the world to see what the best course of action would be for her poor heart. I would see if a hip replacement would help alleviate the pain she is always in. I would have her house inspected from top to bottom and any and all repairs made for her including adding one of those mechanical seats that would allow her to ride up the stairs. I would also do the same for her only remaining sister so that she too can spend her remaining days without any financial worries.

I would establish a trust fund for my niece and her children so that all of them can get the best education the can get. I would fund whatever project my niece takes on for her doctoral thesis. I would make sure that my god children are taken care of for life.

I would get a publicist to promote my baby brother's NASCAR book and the new one he is writing on the Christian music world. I want the world to know what an exceptional writer he is.

I would make sure all of my brothers are taken care of and not have to have financial worries.

For myself I would get a new computer that would allow me to continue doing my art and writing. I might even consider self publishing my own books.

The most important thing I would do however is see what I can do to make a difference in the lives of people, to make this world a better place. Bono in an interview with Charlie Rose talked about his charity work and attributed his zeal to "good old Catholic guilt." Being a Catholic myself I understood exactly what he was talking about. We are taught that Christ died for our sins and that we here on earth to help others. It is the core of my beliefs.

My dream is to establish The Angel's Wings Foundation to help families with critically ill children. The name was inspired by the movie It's A Wonderful Life where every time you hear a bell an angel has earned his wings. You earn them by doing good deeds and helping others. I envision a foundation where it isn't only monetary giving but a giving of self also. I want people to help on a real level. They can help make meals for others, watch the other children, give the parents a chance to have an evening out once in a while, drive family members where they need to go, or just give an sympathetic ear. I want a place where families dealing with the illness of a loved one can find love, help and sympathy.

That is what I would do with my billions. What about you?

The picture is called Treasure and I really don't think it would be a good idea to try and get you billions from the dragon.