Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Can I Borrow $25?


I have come across this story before, but its wonderfully poignant to be reminded. Saw this in a nice blog:
weiliang10.blogspot.com


A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'
DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.
SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.
SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?'

The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.' The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.' The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled. 'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.

'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.' The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.


p/s photo: Kathy Chow Mun Kei


10 comments:

random said...

nice one

i almost cried when i read this..

..almost

solomon said...

Show this posting to my 7 year old daughter and she smiles.

Perhaps, this a good value for the younger one to learn and reminds the older one to love the young one.

Got to go...she needs the laptop for her online game.

Unknown said...

When I was little, look forward dad coming back at night with the "Sar Hor Fun" after his work. Words were hardly exchanged.

My Views said...

the story is true, concern also reasonable..but the question is ? How you can hold all this ? time will pass anyway no matter how much time you spare out for family and frens..Close your eye and feel..Will I not regret of anything?
Some people regret when young time spent to much time with family and cause them no successful in career. Some people will regret spent too much time on career and ignore thier family. Either side also you will regret..

Unknown said...

Thanks alot for your tip on BJTOTO. I made some money.

Any comment on Oriental Holdings ? I think the BOD sucks - paying pittance dividends when the company is so cash rich . What can we do as minority shareholder as the major shareholders are not really keen to pay decent dividends coz they are filthy rich.

I still think Oriental Holdings is greatly undervalue- they are worth more dead than alive.

Your guidance please.

Eric How, said...

Actually it's the same scene from the Singapore Movie."I'm not stupid 2"
Good movie. Go check it out

SalvadorDali said...

eric,

u r right but im pretty sure it was copied by jack neo rather than being an original idea ... no disrespect cos i like his movies..

wizardteo said...

This $25 r very warming n touching, normally child will not act that way, this child must be very desperessing to do that way but very logicaly, one of the singapore movies also borrow this pattern "I just want to borrow your one hour lecture time" to his father. Almost all the child will not feel the way as we do right.

wizardteo said...

This $25 r very warming n touching, normally child will not act that way, this child must be very desperessing to do that way but very logicaly, one of the singapore movies also borrow this pattern "I just want to borrow your one hour lecture time" to his father. Almost all the child will not feel the way as we do right.

JLo said...

I've read this story quite a few times, with slight variations.

Every time I read it, even though I know the ending, I still get teary eyed.

pfffft guess some of us are just born the sentimental type.

Anyway Dali, although i've never commented, i've actually been an avid reader of your blog for a year or two now.

kudos for writing a great blog and thank you. appreciate your insights a lot :)