Clients First: The Two Word Miracle

The Rich

When F. Scott Fitzgerald penned the words, “The rich are different from you and me,” he implied that money created a divide between people. Hemingway referred to the haves and have-nots.

I remember the first transaction we handled for over $1 million. I was so nervous I had to rewrite the contract twice, and I had previously never had to rewrite a contract even once. JoAnn later asked if I was okay. She was concerned that I was coming down with something.

When I told her that I was fine, she took my hand and said, “These are just clients, and we will take care of them just like all the others.” JoAnn knew. She knew that while my upbringing was middle class, I came from a working-class family tree. The rich were different, and I was on the other side of that great divide.

Today, thanks to Clients First and an incredible amount of good fortune, JoAnn and I are financially secure. We are modestly rich, yet we are no different. A dear friend once quoted an old Jewish proverb, “Once poor, never rich.” We still feel the same as always. JoAnn puts change in Mason jars as if we might need those pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters to buy food someday. Every time I use a paper towel, I feel rich, because my mother cut up old clothes to use as cleaning rags.

The rich don’t like being lied to any more or any less than hourly workers who are told that their timecard shows they are late—when they know the boss sets the clock ahead. The rich don’t appreciate lousy service any more ...