19 Satisfied desire is sweet to a person; therefore it is hateful and exceedingly offensive to [self-confident] fools to give up evil [upon which they have set their hearts].
20 He who walks [as a companion] with wise men is wise, but he who associates with [self-confident] fools is [a fool himself and] shall smart for it. (Book of Proverbs, Chapter 13, Verses 19 and 20, Amplified Version)
Could something like this even be written and published with success in the US today? I mean everyone, including me, wants to think we are wise. NOBODY wants to be considered a fool. But here we are in the midst of the biggest economic nightmare of our times. Is it just because people in influential positions made some very stupid decisions? Or were those decisions driven by evil desire? Could it be I played my part? I know the answer to that last question: I did play my part. In 2006 I bought a house I really couldn’t afford. Getting that loan was just too easy. The Ph.D. didn’t stop me from making a foolish move.
So what’s the take away? I’d like to be a companion to wise men, like my friend from high school Paul Vickrey or another guy with a big ranch in the Texas Hill Country, Kyle Bass. I just read about Kyle Bass in Michael Lewis’ book Boomerang. Now there is a guy appears to be financially very wise. And then there is my Air Force Academy classmate, Bart Holaday (“65), one of the most financially successful grads in the history of the Academy. Lord, let me be a companion to such men. I need the wisdom!
And just in case you are thinking, “It’s a bit late in the game for this guy to be seeking wisdom,” my answer is, “Roger that, but I can still give it a shot.”
