Giving Thanks

Well, today is Thanksgiving of course so I felt that I should mention some things that I might be thankful for. I guess I would have to first say that I am mostly thankful for the way I was brought up. It was not an easy life (nor is it now), but it definitely keeps on getting easier. I think my life has really formulated me to be a person that can have some good effects on the people around me. I have learned how to get through some tough stuff and I have had such a rich variety of experiences along the way. I have worn the hats of a cook, a salesman, a factory worker, a bartender, a waiter, a soldier, a tutor, and a mentor, but most of all - I have enjoyed just being a friend. I came to realize that kids really are what this world is all about and that many of them probably have to make some of the same decisions I made and may have even made some of the mistakes that I have made.
When you have no money and lots of time you tend to think alot about things. I would see people around me that had money - but they never seemed REAL...actually they seemed unhappy most of the time. Wealth. What is wealth? Is wealth the purchasing power that one has? Is wealth how much money or investments one has? What is money? Is not money just an abstraction of value - perhaps a form of stored value? What then is it REALLY good for? What is investment? Is it simply putting money somewhere where it can grow into more money? Is it like having a garden? Can you pick and eat your money before the first frost of the year? Probably not - it remains an abstraction. OR perhaps - distraction. Why not invest in something which is not an abstraction? Why not invest in something tangible? Something real? I have decided to invest in humans - they seem to provide the best return. But, like money, one may certainly get greedy when investing in humans...
I am thankful for being such a greedy person.