Unexpected Expenses and Thoughts of Internet Begging...

...have been subjects on my mind today. What with the washing machine breaking down and most likely needing replacement (see previous post), I got to thinking wouldn't it be nice to have a million bucks stashed away for such things.

I had been sort of hoping to stash away some money to buy a new gun sometime in the next couple of months; but now there is no chance of that with the expense of a new washing machine looming on the near horizon. I got pretty bummed out by this because I recently had some other unexpected expenses that had the same effect on my gun buying hopes. I was so frustrated that I almost decided to put a begging post up with a PayPal icon begging for donations.

I did a lot of thinking about this subject today, I even went so far as to write up a whole begging post. No not for inclusion on this blog, but actually under a whole new blog. In thinking about how I would do it, and why I would do it, I decided that if I was going to be an Internet beggar of some sort, I would do it not just so that I could buy new toys and show them off on my site even though I would like to buy some new toys; but rather I would want to also achieve some sort goal. I have always wanted to be a munificent millionaire, ever since the days of the show "The Millionaire". I guess almost everyone would kind of like to have a million bucks, I certainly would. If I was going to beg for it on the web, I would beg for it with that goal, of becoming a millionaire, as my driving force. If I actually were to gain that much money from begging, I would probably give most of it away to charity. Of course I guess I would spend some on myself and my family, pay the taxes on the million with some of it, but then I'd probably give the rest of it away.

Then I thought about how I feel when I see others begging, and I felt almost ashamed of myself for even having given it some thought, let alone actually writing up a whole blog on the subject. While begging to get money is not necessarily a bad thing, it often gets me riled up when I see someone begging, but who has a good paying job, and plenty of money, a nice house, plenty of toys like guns and cars and boats and power tools and electronics and cameras and other goodies. When people who have it to excess stoop to begging so they can have more to excess I see it as the height of boorishness. So, I decided against the begging thing, though I will say I was sorely tempted.

I was oh so tempted that I took it this far: http://TheHumbleBeggar.blogspot.com. As you will see though, the PayPal link is not on the page. When I think about it, it would be fun to say that I was able to get one buck from each of a million people so that I was able to become a millionaire. It would be very nice to have about $50,000 to spend to close out my mortgage and college loans, and to have some to stash away for my sons college expenses; with some left over for a car and a vacation; and then with plenty more left over to donate to a charity.

It probably would not have worked, but who can tell? I leave it to someone else to try. As for me I just don't have it in me to beg when I don't need to beg, even if it means actually missing out on luxuries and toys. Oh well, it was a fun fantasy project - The Humble Beggar blog site that I created this afternoon - and it will remain just that for me, a fantasy project and nothing more.

All the best,
Glenn B