The other day I was taking it easy at the store when the telephone rang. It was a stockbroker trying to sell me some investments. “I have some fantastic stocks and bonds for you, sir. They are must have instruments for a long term investor like yourself,” he told me. “I am too old for long-term investments, young man,” I said and since I had nothing else to do, I decided to hear him out. “That is OK sir because I have the right investment for you. These are high quality instruments generating very high returns, ensuring that you’ll live like a king in your many years of retirement,” the man said. I wanted to test him more so I said, “I won’t have a long retirement because I am seriously ill and doctors have given me only two or three more weeks to live.” He did not even wait a second to digest the gravity of my statement, and continued, “Do not worry sir, I have just the right stock for you and people in your position with a real tight timetable. I promise you that this stock will double if not triple in value in just a few weeks. You will be leaving with the knowledge that your loved ones are very well provided for. He was too good for me and I decided to throw in the towel. “There’s someone at the door and I need go now” and as a joke I added, “it’s probably the mortician who’s come to measure me.” Without missing a beat he replied, “I ‘ll hold sir, just put your mortician on ’cause you can’t believe the fantastic investment I have for him.”
I hung up.
