Blog

An Abundance of Riches

August 21st, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

Recently, I was involved in trying to book a date with an agent from another company. It was not an easy transaction. The end client they were working with took forever to finally deciding that our speaker was a good fit for their event but after requesting a contract, they pulled out of the deal. As mentioned in a previous blog, clients canceling or revising deals after requesting a contract has become commonplace. To say that the other agent was disappointed would be a gross understatement. They were very frustrated, not only had this deal taken a fair amount of their time, but they too were finding this phenomenon of canceling dates after requesting a contract happening more and more frequently. After receiving the notice of cancelation, I contacted the individual and thanked them for the work they had done and told them not to worry about it.

It was hard to hear not only what they were saying but the despondent tone they used. You see, if we are being honest, this is a person that I greatly respect and look up to. They have successfully built a good business, are very well respected by competitors and colleagues alike, have a work ethic second to none, and are adored by their clients. Not to mention they have several children at home that frequently need attention. In short, they are the total package. An individual we should all aspire to be. Our conversation made me stop and examine my own life and where I stand.

For years, I have told people I am not a great businessperson. If you want verification just ask our accountant. Our style as an organization does not encourage high pressure sales. Money is not, nor has it ever been, the biggest driver of FUN Enterprises or its owners. We try our best to be good to our staff who work hard day after day to provide the best client service and experience they can. If we are keeping score by the size of our houses, robust retirement accounts, or a string of vacation properties, then we don’t score very well at all. So, why do I feel successful?

At 63 years of age I am well into the back nine of my career. I have a lot less years in front of me than behind me and I see things very differently now than I did 30 years ago. Back then, I wanted some of those financial trappings; a bigger house, nicer cars, and a house on Lake Winnipesaukee. Perhaps I use a different set of metrics now because we live in the same house that we bought shortly after we got married. It is nice house with a great backyard, in a great neighborhood. It has been the sight of weddings, Bar Mitzvah celebrations, Anniversary parties, engagement parties, baby naming celebrations, and countless dinners with family and friends.  It is a small but very comfortable house. Much to the chagrin of our children, and the amazement of others, it still only has one bathroom. It is not just a house, it is truly our home, filled with warmth, photos, and a crazy number of memories.

Most days when I get up, I am excited to go to work. Everyone needs to have some fun in their lives, to be able to celebrate their successes and milestones. Colleges need to provide entertainment to students, faculty, and staff in order to create and foster community on campus. Corporations need to provide opportunities for co-workers to develop stronger bonds with one another, get to know each other in a social setting, and provide events for family members to meet co-workers. What we do in the eyes of some may be frivolous, but I disagree. What we provide gives people a break, social interaction, a laugh, a smile, perhaps a family photo, or that homey touch for their residence hall room. Although our services may not technically be a necessity, they are needed in our society today as mental health issues grow exponentially, especially on college campuses.

In my own way I feel like an educator. Primarily, my client base is colleges and universities. That means I work with a lot of college students. For some, this will be their first foray into the business world and the expectation of their advisors is that I will help guide them through the process. It is a part of my job that I love. Often, I find myself as the student as these gifted individuals teach me. They provide me with their unique perspective on the world and what is going on in their lives, along with what is happening on campus. My job is never the same 2 days in a row, and it is never boring. It has been talked about in this space before, but I also work with some incredibly bright, dedicated, creative, and hardworking folks. I count these things among the riches I have.

All and all, I feel very lucky. My wife and I have been happily married for almost 36 years. We have friends whose weddings we attended that have not been so lucky. We raised 2 sons, and both are doing very well for themselves. Both live on their own and are very self-sufficient. In March, we became Grandparents for the very first time. Life is pretty good.

As mentioned earlier in terms of a retirement account or worldly possessions, I will never be on the Forbes list of the richest people in America. Having encountered some of those folks over the years, I am okay not being on that list. It has taken me a bit to figure it out, but I do things differently now than I used to. Ten years ago, we bought into a vacation club in Aruba. A big part of the reason we did it was because by committing the money, it forced me to take a vacation every year. Needless to say, it was money well spent as I now go away at least twice a year and we go for longer stretches every year. Yes, I do bring my computer and work a bit everyday while I am gone, but each time we go, I work less. Our son and daughter in law got engaged there and it was where they let us know they were expecting a baby. I’ve been very dedicated to work and didn’t always make time for other enjoyments in life. During COVID, there was a group of us that got together to golf weekly. We don’t play as much lately but we still get out a few times a month. Something that I wouldn’t have made the time for years ago.

As I said, I have an abundance of riches. One of the things that is nice is carrying on my mom’s legacy of paying it forward. She believed that no matter what happened to her or our family somebody always had it worse. Going through her checkbook years ago my sister realized that she was making a crazy number of donations to a wide range of charities some several times a month. It was right around the time she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and she had no recollection of writing all those checks. One of my siblings said we should contact the charities and ask them to return some of the money, but my mother was adamantly opposed to doing that, saying they needed the money more than she did. Honestly, she was probably right.

As for my friend, I wish they could see themselves just once through the eyes of others. They might see how truly lucky they are. Some people walk the face of the earth for a lifetime and never accomplish or accumulate the wealth that this person has amassed. They have a wonderful family, the respect of others, and they are loved and admired. That is not a bad tally in my book. We should all be so lucky.

About the author:

Ken Abrahams is a self-described cranky old man. Many that know him say that he has a hard exterior but is all soft inside. He is a 1978 graduate of Brookline High School and, for the record, a crappy golfer.

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