'Money saved in 10 years produces financial freedom': interview with author David Parker

Yes, a couple of very memorable experiences in my youth opened my eyes to the surprising qualities of money that most of us rarely think about.  When I was only ten years old, I happened to come across an article in the newspaper that announced the pasing of a longtime waiter at San Francisco’s prestigious St. Francis Hotel. The man’s obituary mentioned that he had managed to create a fortune of several million dollars. I was amazed. Then, I was visiting my grandparents – who had emigrated to San Francisco from Austria right before the start of World War II. My grandmother commented to my grandfather that it might be nice if he got out of the house for a change.  A few hours later, he came back and proudly announced that he was the new owner of four movie theaters – despite the fact that, as we all knew, he had no money. When he learned the theaters were available for sale, he reached out to a few friends who did have some money, and they all became joint owners. Ten years later, when they sold the theaters, he made a nice profit. Third, when I was just starting out as a public school teacher, I enjoyed spending time every morning before the first class of the day with the school’s janitor. We had some great conversations, and one day he surprised me by saying, “You know, I’m not doing this job because I need the income.  My primary income comes from a few apartment buildings that I purchased.  He just liked spending time with the young students and knowing he was helping others. All three of these experiences taught me that money and wealth are two very different things, and it’s possible for any of us to accumulate wealth.