Money seems to be everything in life...

Last night I read a short story entitled Baboon written by the famous local writer Abdullah Husin (Sasterawan Negara). M lend me the book. The story is about a village man with a wife and a kid who has to leave the kampong and look for job elsewhere. It touches a bit on money. Chinese consider money second to God. Man created values to papers by printing different symbols and colors. Without this paper money, man cannot survive. To buy food, cloth and shelter u need money. He wrote about rivalry among siblings coz of money and friends who become enemies coz of money. I am not going to tell the whole content of the short story but rather focus my thots on money.

I had a lady friend S, going out with her, she always talks about doing business and making money. I said lets enjoy our lunch, don’t only talk about money. She said money is everything in her life. No money no talk. Well, I said money is not everything in life. There are other things in life which cannot be bought with money like true love, friendship and happiness (but on second thought nowadays, even some friendship and love can be bought with money). That’s why people are so materialistic today.

Raya is round the corner. Sometimes, I just hate to balik kampung to Masjid Tanah, Melaka (my wife’s kampung – I don’t have a kampong). The first thing they will ask u, where u stay in KL, what job u r doing and what car are u driving. The kampong people sound so materialistic. My wife always pesters me to buy a bigger car. I was reluctant (I was driving a Kembara then). Her relatives will park non-less than Mercedes and Hondas near the kampong house. I told her, so long the car is in good running condition and take me to where ever I wanted to go, is good enough for me. I don’t need a luxury car.

I have a journalist friend Y, who was a student leader during varsity times. He gives superb ceramahs and a great supporter of Anwar . I used to follow this people and listen to their ceramahs. They will be talking about improving the quality of life, eradicating poverty and uplifting the Bumiputras economic status ( all those good things we talked and preached during varsity days). Recently, I met him after such a long time, the first thing he asked me – “is there any project that u can offer me”. He didn’t even bother to ask how am I and about my family. Oh. Gosh, there goes the personality whom I admired once.

Why money is so paramount? Is money everything in life?