Wit is sometimes more useful than money and loneliness warps the mind

Sorry dear readers, today I don't feel like my sarcastic and mocking self. (My mother tells me all the women in our family have a fragment of devil's mirror in our eyes because we see everything in a sardonic way. We can see something funny in the goriest things possible.) However, sometimes even I want to talk seriously to you and I don't want to twist my words too much this time.

Let's talk about my favorite topic, money. No money, no honey or funny. The other day I got really upset when I saw an ad on TV encouraging people to buy a funeral insurance for their spouse. A merry widow was smiling happily and telling the audience how much money she saved by having the insurance when her hubby kicked the bucket. Oh yes, it is terrible to be left without resources if it so happens that your spouse meets a premature death. We were told so by one of our hosts who also recommended that after marrying the man of our dreams we should immediately insure him in case the worst happens. Still, I think it is a bit indelicate to advertise the funeral insurance thing on telly. Could it be taken care of in a more respecting manner? Or maybe I'm just too sensitive. I've been told that happens sometimes. Anyway, if my hypothetical husband were to die and let's assume I loved him, maybe I would just prefer to have him back even if it meant being completely broke to having all the lovely cash from the insurance.

I have recently discovered that money might the reason some people are somewhat imbecile. This interesting discovery was made at work. What's the point of ironing non-crease materials? They are not going to look any better. But if you have money to pay for unnecessary tasks, be my guest. It's only going to add to my wages. Money is a difficult thing. It is most likely impossible to live without but too much of it is not good either. It doesn't matter how much money you have, if you do a shitty job and spend too much time around shitty people, you will feel shitty about your life. So, eat good food, drink good wine and be with good people. At least in theory that's the recipe of happiness.

OK let's move on to the next topic I want to talk about. I have talked about some strange personalities we have met during the travels. There have been farmers who were absolutely nuts and all kind of other people who were equally addled. All these people had one common denominator, and in my opinion that's being lonely. Loneliness warps the mind. If you spend too much time minding your own business and isolated from the society it is entirely possible that you will become intolerant of other people, their needs and wants, their preferences and their lifestyles. All in all you'll start having difficulties adapting to others.

By loneliness I don't mean that these people would have no one around them. I mean that their lack of close relationships seems to have frozen their hearts. Superficial acquaintances and neighbors who occasionally pop in don't count. Now, I have always thought being independent and standing alone on your two feet is a good thing but I have started to think that maybe I have been wrong all along. Maybe people should have the feeling of belonging somewhere, belonging to a group. I don't mean only romantic relationships but in general the sense of belonging together with others, whoever they might be and however they happened to come to your life.

To conclude this chapter, I will tell you that it took me half life to notice that people are more important than money. Life is not about what you can get from other people but what you can give them,. It is better to give than receive. (Mom, pat your back now, you always tell me some day I will understand the things money can't buy.)