Sushi Money

Kept very busy last week, and then we took a three-day weekend camping and boating with relatives.  We took a trip to a lake a few hours from home, and enjoyed the water, and hanging around the fire at night.  It was really nice to just relax and enjoy some time away with good food and fun with the kids.  We really don’t have to spend a fortune, and can find many fun things to do not far from home to enjoy visiting together.  We had a 6-year old, an 11-year old and a 17-year old with us, and they loved the trip.  Life passes too quickly to not enjoy the time we have with family and friends.   I realized I’ve only seen my brothers a few times in over the past few years, so I was glad we could get together.  I watched my son run around for hours catching fireflies, and putting them in plastic bottles for home-made flashlights.  Roasting marshmellows and making “smores” put a smile on the kids faces.  And then at 5:30 one morning… “Rise and shine!” came the call from the 6-year old as he peeked into our tent… with a growly reply of ”Go back to bed!” from Dad who didn’t go to sleep until after midnight!

But gas prices are pretty dang high for tourist travel, especially in areas where the gas stations have a monopoly on prices.  On the lake we visited the boat marinas were charging almost $4.00 for a gallon of fuel!  I filled up before hand and didn’t have to purchase at that level.  But driving somewhere is about twice as expensive these days than it was just a few years ago, so we’re glad we can find nice places within a few hours drive.  And we always find more things to do than we realized.  Even so, I was struck by how depressed some of the rural areas were for people who live there.  Many smaller towns are no longer growing, and they lack business growth to provide jobs for local residents.  Tourist areas that are “out-of-the-way” are not receiving as many visitors either.  I’ve been studying Family Economics recently and was suprised that in my home state rural poverty rates are much higher than metropolitan poverty rates in the larger cities.  I thought it was the other way around, but after driving through the country this weekend it makes more sense.  And where do the younger folks go for jobs?  Not in the smaller towns… they have to find places that provide education and a good future, and that’s usually near the larger towns and cities.   But technology provides opportunity, and even in some of the small towns I noted “eBay Drop-off” stores that some people have used to start their own businesses.

And how about that move on GE today?  I can’t pretend to know why at this point, but the company has been making some good moves shedding businesses that don’t contribute to their goals for growth.  I’ve thought GE was undervalued for several years now, and purchased shares accordingly.  It will continue to be a long-term position for me, and I like to think it will double over the next five years.  Either way, I like the dividends and reduced taxation.  Yet all of that pales in comparison to the “value” of spending time with family.  It’s just not something one can quantify.  But it is something we can do…

“Four things come not back: the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life, and the neglected opportunity.”

                                                                                                                     Omar Idn Al-Halif

That’s a pretty good maxim for saving and investing… especially in one’s family.

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