The Ultimate Journey, page 3
I read the title of the second section:
The Gift of Money
I remembered a long-ago conversation I had with Mr. Stevens shortly after I began working for him. He had asked what I did with the money I earned. I told him that I tried to save some out of each of my checks and give some away every time I got paid.
He asked if I had any financial goals for my future, and I told him I was very happy and had everything I wanted. I remember he laughed and said, “James, that makes you a wealthier man than me, because I still have many goals yet to reach.”
I sat there at the picnic table many years later and wondered if he had wanted too much or if I had somehow not been ambitious enough.
The first entry read:
January 14th, 1934.
Money is scarce, food is scarce, and Mom and Dad seem to be afraid. I’ve been trying to find odd jobs to bring some money in, but grown men can’t find work, so no one wants to hire a kid.
I was deep in thought, thinking about those tough times during the Depression, and I didn’t realize Jason and Alexia had returned and joined me at the table. I must have appeared startled.
Alexia said, “Sorry, James. We didn’t mean to scare you.”
I replied, “No, ma’am. I was just thinking about how a financial downturn hurts everyone and how people during the Depression struggled to get by with almost nothing.”
I handed Jason the diary and hurried to get the luggage stowed in the trunk and hold open the door as Jason and Alexia resumed their places in the backseat.
As I was thinking about the desperate words billionaire Red Stevens had written during a time when he had nothing, I heard him speak from the DVD he had made for Jason.
“Today, we are going to talk about what may, indeed, be the most misunderstood commodity in the world. That is, money. There is absolutely nothing that can replace money in the things that money does, but regarding the rest of the things in the world, money is absolutely useless.
“For example, all the money in the world won’t buy you one more day of life. That’s why you’re watching this videotape right now. And it’s important to realize that money will not make you happy. I hasten to add that poverty will not make you happy either. I have been rich, and I have been poor—and all other things being equal—rich is better.
“Jason, you have no idea or concept of the value of money. That is not your fault. That is my fault. But I am hoping in the next thirty days, you can begin to understand what money means in the lives of real people in the real world. More of the violence, anxiety, divorce, and mistrust in the world is caused by misunderstanding money than any other factor. These are concepts that are foreign to you because money to you has always seemed like the air you breathe. There’s always more. All you have to do is take the next breath.
“I know that you have always flashed around a lot of money and spent it frivolously. I take responsibility for this situation because I deprived you of the privilege of understanding the fair exchange between work and money.”
Alexia picked up on the theme and read from the diary:
September 2nd, 1937.
I worked a full shift today and half of another in the fields. Harvest time is good, and the days are long enough to get in the extra hours. I earned almost a dollar. After eating and paying for my part of the room I’m sharing, I have 34 cents to add to my bankroll. It’s not much yet, but I’m on the positive side of the ledger. At least I’m adding and not subtracting.
Alexia put voice to her thoughts. “It’s hard to imagine a man who had billions of dollars started out with literally pennies.”
“Yeah,” Jason replied. “I never knew him when he wasn’t one of the richest men in the world. I was actually embarrassed and ashamed in some weird way because of the wealth we had. It seemed like so much a part of him that I never imagined him being poor.”
I heard myself speak before I thought. “Mr. Stevens, if I might interject …”
I saw Jason look at me in the mirror and nod.
“Your grandfather told me that he had been broke many times in his life but never poor. Red Stevens believed that broke was a financial condition and poor was a mental or emotional condition. He told me that broke was temporary, but being poor was permanent unless you changed your thinking.
“I thought a lot about it and came to realize that he was right. Working for your grandfather, I met a lot of very wealthy people that I would consider poor.”
Alexia chimed in. “Jason, when you first met me, I couldn’t even pay my rent, and you actually covered my deficit from the money you had earned building that fence at Gus Caldwell’s ranch.”
Jason nodded and agreed. “I remember that, but I never thought of you as poor. You and Emily were struggling with her disease, and Mr. Hamilton had given me the money along with my grandfather’s instructions to find a place it would do the most good.”
Jason read aloud from the diary:
October 11th, 1957.
Ted Hamilton called today to tell me the bookkeepers say I became a millionaire in August. It’s funny to think that I’ve been a millionaire for almost two months and didn’t even know it. I thought I would feel different than I do.
I told Hannah tonight at dinner, and she just smiled and nodded like she did when I told her I put the mail on the hall table. I will have to think on this.
Alexia sounded bewildered. “Wow, he became a millionaire and didn’t understand it any better than I do.”
Jason read another entry:
March 22nd, 1961.
Today, they dedicated the Stevens wing at the hospital. It was the best $4 million I ever spent. It seems like some of the most fun I have with money is giving it away. It certainly makes the toys I buy for myself seem more fun and feel better. I wish I had discovered this earlier.
Jason cleared his throat and read on:
June 7th, 1971.
On the cover of Forbes magazine this week. It’s the first time the press has branded me a billionaire. I will have to call the accounting office to check.
Everything seems the same. There are just more zeroes. If money were all that someone had, they would be really poor.
I spoke up. “That’s what he was telling me about when he described the difference between poor and broke.”
Alexia turned several pages and read:
December 11th, 1984.
Ted got the money shifted to the foundation to buy the Christmas presents for all the boys’ homes. I warned him that he’d better not hand out any of the packages until I get there.
I reminded him that Santa Claus was a white guy. He disagreed and reminded me I had never been to the neighborhood where he grew up.
It is as hard to give the money away responsibly as it was to earn it, but it’s probably more fun.
I remembered the many trips when I had driven Mr. Stevens to the boys’ homes he sponsored all across the country. Those were good times, and the boys had a way of finding the young kid still alive inside of Red Stevens.
Jason announced, “Here’s the final diary page he put in about money.”
It’s getting late. Ted tells me that my financial house is in order, but I hope I have done the right thing. This will put a lot of pressure on Jason, and the rest of the family won’t make it easy. I had the advantage of earning the money slowly over many years and learning the lessons that came along with the money gradually. Jason will have to get a financial education in a hurry. I think he’s up to it.
Jason’s voice shook. “I never knew he felt that way about the money and me and everything. I didn’t understand he was trying to teach me the things I needed to know. You can’t learn financial lessons using someone else’s money. He made me earn money the hard way and then learn to manage it on my own. I wish I had known then what I know now.”
Alexia said, “Well, at least you know it now, and if you forget, you’ve got the diary and the DVD and me and James. We won’t let you down. Will we, James?”
I cleared my throat and stammered a bit but finally managed to say, “No, ma’am. I’m sure we’ll all do what needs to be done.”
I always remember Red Stevens repeating that if you want to learn how to manage money, you have to manage people; and if you want to learn how to manage people, you’ve got to learn how to manage yourself.
The limousine was silent for the next several miles as we all had our thoughts and Red Stevens’ words for company.
Money can help us along our journey
and buy us a vehicle for the trip,
but it is never a destination.
Five
The Journey of Friends
As I piloted the limousine down the highway, holding it smooth and steady, my emotions were experiencing a roller-coaster ride. On one hand, there was the joy and promise of Jason and Alexia’s wedding and new life together. On the other hand, being back at Emily’s Home with the release of thousands of butterflies created bittersweet memories of a special little girl.
I was also struck by the fact that receiving the gift of insight from Red Stevens’ diary left me with a feeling of joy and gratitude that I had known him as a boss, but at the same time, I felt the loss of my friend.
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the unmistakable voice of Red Stevens on the DVD player giving another of his Ultimate Gift messages to Jason.
“Friend is a word that is thrown around far too easily by people who don’t know the meaning of it. Today, people call everyone they know their friend. Young man, you’re lucky if you live as long as I have and can count your real friends on the fingers of both hands.
“A friend is not someone who makes you happy all the time, but instead, they make you better. Friends share the greatest joys and the deepest sorrows you will face in your life, and you are privileged to share their highs and lows as well.
“Friends don’t always tell you what you want to hear; they care enough about you to tell you what you need to know.
“Friendship is never a 50/50 even split. Both of you have to be 100 percent invested in the relationship, no matter what.
“The foundation of every friendship has to be trust and respect.
“Your friends will never be perfect, nor can they expect you to be perfect, but you both expect the other to always be striving to do better. Accepting the flaws of a great friend is like an investment you make in a valuable treasure. The investment seems insignificant compared to the reward.
“The whole world is looking for someone who will treat them like a friend. Instead of looking to find a friend, seek situations where you can be a friend, and you will always find what you are looking for.”
As I was deep in thought, remembering all the many ways Red Stevens had been a friend to me, I heard Alexia begin to read from Mr. Stevens’ diary:
August 4th, 1932.
Mother said I can spend all the money I had saved on a new baseball glove for Billy’s birthday present. She said this Depression won’t last forever, and we always need good friends. My old glove’s not that bad, and if it weren’t for Billy, I wouldn’t have anybody to play catch with anyway.
Jason and Alexia giggled in the back of the limousine as they thought of the powerful billionaire Howard “Red” Stevens as a boy whose most pressing decision had to do with a baseball glove.
I had to smile, myself, thinking about Mr. Stevens that way.
Alexia read another entry:
December 7th, 1941.
We just heard that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor. None of us had ever heard of Pearl Harbor except for the fact that it is where the navy sent Billy. I talked to his parents, but we can’t get any word.
Alexia continued as the emotion crept into her voice:
December 11th, 1941.
Everyone in town knew when the navy chaplain drove to Billy’s house that it was bad news. They presented his folks with a folded flag and expressed the thanks of the president and everyone in America. It doesn’t seem like nearly enough. I still can’t believe he’s gone.
Alexia began to cry softly, and Jason read the next entry about friends that Red had left for him:
January 4th, 1942.
I told my folks and Billy’s that, after I graduate this spring, I’ll be old enough to join the navy and finish what Billy started. It’s the least I can do for my friend.
As I continued to concentrate on my driving, I replayed many past events in my mind. A lot of things fell into place that I had never known about before.
I had accompanied Mr. Stevens on many business trips to Hawaii. He never failed to spend several hours at the memorial on the USS Arizona. That’s an emotional place for anyone, but it always seemed to have extra emotion and meaning for Mr. Stevens.
I remembered another time when Mr. Stevens was overjoyed as he let everyone know that Mrs. Stevens was expecting a child. I casually asked if they had any names picked out, and Mr. Stevens fell silent for a few moments, got a faraway look in his eye, and said, “We will name him Bill, and his friends will call him Billy.”
Jason reverently turned the page and read the next two entries:
May 4th, 1972.
Ted has seemed distracted and under the weather for months. He’s always dismissed it and said it was nothing, but I know there is something bothering him. When I have a problem, it’s just easy to focus on the issue at hand, but when Hamilton has a problem, I worry about both the problem and my friend.
May 8th, 1972.
I played detective today and got Miss Hastings to tell me that Ted had been seeing a doctor at the medical center. I called the doctor to find out what was wrong with my friend. The doctor said he couldn’t talk about it.
Money and power have their advantages. After I reminded the doctor that he worked in the Howard “Red” Stevens wing of the hospital, he opened up.
They are running some tests but fear that Hamilton has a serious kidney disease.
Jason sounded anxious as he read on:
May 14th, 1972.
Bad news today. Ted Hamilton has a terminal kidney condition. The doctor gives him less than a year unless he can get a kidney transplant. It is experimental and risky.
Jason continued:
May 16th, 1972.
The doctor tested my kidney, and I am a match. This is great news. The doctor warned me about the danger, but I told him I could live without my kidney but couldn’t live without my friend.
I thought about all the years that Red Stevens and Mr. Hamilton worked together and were best friends. I realized that Mr. Stevens’ sacrifice had given Mr. Hamilton half his life back; but on the other hand, I thought how Mr. Stevens’ sacrifice had also given him his friend back.
We rode in silence for several miles and then Jason’s cell phone rang. He was about to turn it off but checked the caller ID and said, “It’s David. I’m going to take this.”
Jason clicked the phone on and said, “Hi, David. Thanks for coming today. It meant a lot to have you there, and I know it’s not easy.”
He laughed heartily as he listened to his friend David speak.
Jason responded, “Well, it’s good to have a friend like you, too, and I’ll tell her exactly what you said.”
Jason punched the button to disconnect and continued laughing loudly.
Alexia asked curiously, “So, what is so funny?”
Jason laughed even harder, unable to speak.
David was a young man Jason met as a part of his grandfather’s Ultimate Gift experience. During one of the monthly challenges, Jason and David had become best of friends. David is blind, but it’s easy to forget his impairment, because he is endowed with the most incredible sense of humor I have ever encountered.
He has taken what, for most people, would be a profound disability and turned it into an ongoing joke. He makes everyone he comes in contact with laugh and feel better about themselves. Outside of Red Stevens and Alexia, David has been the most positive influence on Jason’s life.
Jason has gone from being a spoiled, entitled, rich kid to becoming a generous, formidable young man who is well on his way to making his mark in the world and making that world better for a lot of people.
Finally, Jason was able to control his laughter, and Alexia repeated her inquiry.
“So, what did David say?”
Jason announced, “David said to tell you that your wedding dress was the most beautiful gown he has ever seen.”
Alexia was perplexed momentarily, then she joined Jason in another round of laughter.
It is amazing that someone can take his own pain and share it in a way that brings his best friend joy and laughter.
Alexia turned several pages in the diary and read silently for a moment. Then she spoke up so I could hear clearly. “James, you will want to hear this, I think.”
I glanced at her in the rearview mirror and nodded.
She began:
June 22nd, 1988.
Another frustrating day on the mayor’s zoning board. I’m going to remember to never volunteer for another political position like this. Very upsetting that they want to put the new freeway extension through James’s neighborhood, and they are planning to tear down his house. I know he just did the renovations and added the new bedroom for the child they are adopting. A lot of hopes and dreams have gone into that house. Can’t let this happen.
I was bewildered as I had no idea what this meant. It made no sense to me.
Alexia continued:
June 26th, 1988.
Everything is resolved. I had my engineers working on it day and night. After I donated a tract of land to the city and convinced everyone to move the freeway extension a mile south, everything will be fine. It’s better for the city, anyway, and James won’t ever have to move his growing family.
I was dumbstruck. I had driven Mr. Stevens to those very meetings he was writing about in his diary, but he had never mentioned a word about this to me. When I inquired how his meetings went, he always just shrugged dismissively and said, “Nothing special. Everything’s going the way it should.”
