Life Short Cuts

This was posted by one of my plurk friends a gazillion years ago.  It flashed into my head as a perfect analogy for a lot of online workers, especially those being looked down on because you don't dress up in morning in your stockings and heels.

A vacationing businessman asked a fisherman how long it took to catch fish.
Fisherman: Oh, a few hours.
Businessman: Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?
Fisherman: With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs.
Businessman: But what do you do with the rest of your time?
Fisherman: I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs...

Businessman: Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable.

• You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. 
• You can then sell the extra fish you catch. 
• With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. 
• With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats. 
• Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you'll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. 
• Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. 
• You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.

Fisherman: But how long will all this take?
Businessman: Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.
Fisherman: And then what, señor?
Businessman: Why, that's the best part! When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.
Fisherman: Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?
Businessman: Then you could happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.


Amen.

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