we work for
Dr. Torgersen posed a question in our 8am lecture that caught me off guard. At first he wanted individual responses along with explanations. I am usually one of the first people to speak up after he questions us - I rarely have a difficulty finding some facet of the lecture to probe or comment about. But I was speechless. He then posed the question as a multiple choice question and had a class vote by raising of hands.
His question?
“How much money do you want to be making in 30-35 years? (ignoring inflationary adjustments)
I had no idea how to respond to that. Was I supposed to plan my life out in that moment of pausing? Marriage? Kids? Career? Do I care for job security? Will I drive a car?
Will I have already left to forever migrate and wander through “the wild”? In that case, I need to make no money to keep going.
Do I think there will be humans left in 30 years? What about the enormous potential for more world wars with incoming crises of oil, electricity, and water?
How could I plan my life out in that singular moment? I was one of three people in the class who chose Torgersen’s lowest income tier - $50,000 to $75,000.
I assume that even though I will be roaming the earth on foot by that time, my autobiography sales will still bring in trickles of revenue I will have willed to friends and family.
September 25th, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Yes planning the rest of one’s life does require considerable effort!!
September 25th, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Your creativity and ability to express yourself show that you are already more rich than many people could ever hope to be. Thoughtful and inspiring communication is priceless.