Posted by Adrian Mack [ 202.137.97.85 ] on May 24, 2004 at 04:13:39:
"The Fisherman"
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented
the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took
him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the
American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs
and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with
my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a
few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra
fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the
extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third
one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling
your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing
plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little
village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From
there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American,
laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks
and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?"
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast,
sleep late, fish a little, play with your grandchildren, and take a siesta
with your wife. In the evenings, you could go into the village to see your
friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs and have a
full life."
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