How quickly nature

Falls into revolt,

When gold becomes her object.

– Shakespeare, 2 Henry, IV, IV, 5

Not only does nature fall into revolt, but so do many people as well, as they become revolting when money becomes their object, their god, their raison d’etre. Somehow they seem to take on a different persona when money falls into their hands. In fact, other people will fall not only into their hands, but into their arms when they come into some cash.

There is old money and there is new money, and in certain societies, people with old money look down with disdain on people with new money. Perhaps with good reason, as usually it’s persons with new money who seem to change. People with old money are used to it, as they’ve lived with it for generations and are not frightened by it. But the new money folks, the never-see-come-see, the ‘gladdis’ people, they are the ones who cannot handle the newly acquired wealth.

Only then will you see their true colours, surrounded by a tinge of green. But apart from acquiring new money and changing, some people also change if they think that someone close to them has acquired some money. They turn into envy-infused, red eye predators, for they must have what that other person has. This happens to gangs of thieves a lot, and even families awaiting the reading of a will, as they fight amongst themselves over ill-gotten gains or ‘dead leff’ money. See what’s happening with the scammers, sometimes friends and relatives, as they eliminate each other over loot?

Everything changes when money enters the picture. We’ll find out who, what, why and when right after these responses to ‘Discipline’.

Hi Tony,

You hit the nail right on the head when you stated that the anarchy on the roads may be due to lack of discipline by the lawmakers. The laws pertaining to traffic and the proper use of the road may be on the books, but the users of the road may be ignorant of these rules. How do we get drivers to obey the rules? By enforcing the law, and that’s where the police come in. Drivers and pedestrians who disobey the law should be brought to court and punished with a stiff fine or suspension of driving privileges, depending on the severity of the offence.

Peter

Teerob,

You are flogging a dead horse, my brother. That same horse by the name of Discipline which bolted through the gate and collapsed from neglect. This lack of discipline is endemic, from parliament to pulpit, from society folk to schoolers. So what do you expect from the masses?

Thomas

A few weeks ago, the lottery in the USA reached a record whopping US$1.3 billion. That’s billion with a B. The frenzy to buy tickets was at fever pitch, and even people from Jamaica, and I suspect other Caribbean countries, phoned their relatives in the USA to purchase tickets for them. “Aunt Shirley, here are my numbers, make sure you buy my tickets.”

Some even asked friends to do it, but I wonder, if those buyers in the USA actually bought the winning ticket and hit the jackpot, would they call back home to report the windfall? “Althea, I bought your ticket and you won… mine didn’t win though.” Can you really see that happening?

Money changes everything, and people change when money comes into the picture, especially huge amounts of money. There are so many sad tales of people who won the lottery and did crazy, out-of-character things.

I saw a TV documentary that highlighted this. Among them was this case of a doctor’s wife who won millions and kept it hidden from him. It was only when she secretly gave over a half of the winnings to a secret love child, a son she had before her marriage and didn’t tell hubby about, that the story hit the fan and ripped her marriage apart. In anger, her husband poisoned her and went to prison for murder. Money changes everything.

Then there was this other story of a man who won the lottery and his own brother killed him just to get the loot, the largesse, the lucre, the moolah. Money has many names, and if you dance with it, it won’t change, but you will.

Other people will go on a spending spree that would make shoppers at Thanksgiving sales in the USA look like misers. They buy everything in sight – cars, women, houses, women, boats, women, clothes, even private jets. Many end up broke after the blitz of spending goes bust.

Many spouses admit that if they won the lottery they would not tell their significant other. I guess they weren’t really significant after all. Others would leave immediately, and there are many documented cases of marriages breaking up all because one partner won the lottery and split. “Is long time mi waan leff you, yu nuh. But now mi win, is gone mi gone.”

There’s this story of this woman coming home and telling her husband, “I won the lottery, start packing.”

“Great honey, where are we going?” he asked.

“We…who said anything about ‘we’? Start packing and get out,” she shot back.

Did she really change, or did the money embolden her to take action?

Even if people don’t win the lottery though, money oftentimes changes them. It’s theorised that one main reason for divorce is not infidelity or abuse, but money matters, financial folly, dollar dealings. When you have one partner who’s a spendthrift and the other who’s frugal, then that’s a recipe for disaster. There’s always the cliché of the wife who loves to shop till she drops or until the credit card erupts in flames — whichever come first. Of course, the poor hubby can’t keep up and is always stressed out by her spending.

That happens, but the reverse also occurs. Some husbands spend a lot on social affairs, partying, night clubbing, gambling, buying expensive stuff, while there’s little food in the house. The money worries issue changes the whole equation of marriage, and it meets its inevitable demise.

When they were poor and broke they were okay, but as soon as a little money come into play, someone wanted to play hard and party hard. Real or imagined, the change kicks in. The person who is frugal says of the other, “You spend too much, take it easy.” While the other will reply, “You are so mean, yuh going to dead and leave the money.”

Even Shakespeare said, “There is money, spend it, spend it, spend more.” He also said, “I can see no remedy against this consumption of the purse. The disease is incurable.”

As soon as some foiks acquire a bundle of money, their entire persona changes. Suddenly they start to bling it out. This is evident in many of our music artistes and sportsmen. In a flash their entire lifestyle changes, they take a quantum leap into conspicuous consumption, and the flash of the gold chain is only rivalled by the glint and gleam of the gold teeth. There was even a DJ who used to throw money into the crowd. “Hey man, how you acting so fancy… you get rich and switch?”

They acquire multiple cars, houses, women…ah yes, let’s not forget the women, who also suddenly change towards the once poor schmuck who now has money. “Is what she see in him… him so ugly and pop down?” Aha, but she sees the money, and money changes everything. Many women choose men, or have suitors chosen for them, overlook their horrible faults and marry them just because they have money.

“This is my father’s choice. O what a world of vile ill-favour’d faults, looks handsome in three hundred pounds a year.” Three hundred pounds was a lot of money in Shakespeare’s days.

But in the same way that money changes everything, so does the lack of it. Just see how many friends you have left in your corner if your money goes. The lack of money is the root of all evil. “Those you make friends, and give your hearts to, when they once perceive the least rub in your fortunes, fall away like water from ye.” So said Henry VIII. The lack of money is a game-changer. So whether you just got it or recently lost it, money changes everything.

More time.

seido1@hotmail.com

seido1@hotmail.com

Footnote: Months ago I mentioned that a student from Immaculate High School for Girls, Tiffany Holung, had applied to a university in Abu Dhabi for a scholarship. Well, I’m pleased to inform you that she was successful and will be attending university later this year. Over 9,000 students globally apply annually, and only 120 are accepted. She surpassed all of the academic qualifications, plus displayed exceptional leadership, social and communication skills. Tiffany has 10 ‘grade ones’ in CXC, plus a host of scholastic and extracurricular achievements too numerous to name here. Even Princeton came knocking on her door. It’s a great achievement for this young lady, her family, her school and her country. The world is a big place and offers opportunities in all quarters.