it's never a bad time to plant trees

on wealth and legacy

It’s spring. We typically get a new fruit tree at this time of year. I asked the dude at the nursery when to put it in the ground. He laughed and told me a date then said:

It’s never a bad time to plant trees

When I was younger, I wanted to be wealthy. Wealth was really important to me. With that in mind, I retired when I was twenty three years old - the day after graduating from Dalhousie university. That was way back in way back times - in 1996!

I’ve been retired ever since. I know what you’re thinking: retired, at 23? What happened? What was your secret? I’m much older than 23. I have so many more assets now. How can I retire?

That’s the problem right there. The second last sentence: I have so many assets now. That’s exactly why you can’t retire. In addition to having assets, you also have liabilities and responsibilities.

My good pal, the physician - he’s actually more of a boho poet, but he calls himself the physician - he once wisely opined: You don’t own your stuff, your stuff owns …