Editor's Notes

As a pet sitter, I spend many hours on the road. During my travels, I often see a homeless man and his dog. As I sat at a red light one afternoon, he approached my car to request money. I honestly had none to give, but being a good pet sitter, I did have a bag of all natural dog biscuits. The gentleman seem genuinely pleased to be handed these. As I watched in my rear-view mirror, he was handing one of the treats to his friend.

I now watch for them. I’ve observed the dog running, his tail wagging, and stopping to wait for his companion. I have glimpsed the man lovingly stroking the dog’s head. What is strange about this pair is that there is an incongruous air of contentment about them. These days, with the bad economy on most peoples’ minds, not many seem content. The down markets provide us a tangible measure of how rich or poor we are --- in a monetary sense.

Many years ago Hayden Soule, my dearest friend’s father, said to a group of us at the dinner table, "Have you ever noticed that when you ask a New Englander how far it is to get someplace, they will always answer in time, not in miles? ‘It’s twenty minutes away.’" He thought it’s because time is what is truly valuable in this life. Therefore, would the person asking be willing to spend the needed time to get there?

These days, with the bad economy on most peoples’ minds, it’s important to remember that money is not the only measure of our wealth. Long before the markets soured, many of us were already poor in life’s most precious commodity – time.

We can all increase our net worth by simply reducing our to-do lists. And instead of wasting any newly earned capital studying investment statements, invest it in quality time with our pets. Their lives are often short and they don’t take credit. Besides, the more time we spend on our animals, the less time we spend on those other things.

Cindy