Show I Am Still Rich We have passed through a panic suffered from a crash on the stock market and are now more than halfway half halfway halfway way through the depression and I am dill rich It may be true that I have much less to live on than I had a year ago but it is certainly true that I have Just as much as ever to live for Thereal Thereal The Thereal real values of ot life are unshaken and solid The stock crash i us much that we never had had pa pa profits profits' which never got nearer ou out pockets than the financial pages of the dally papers The market failed but nothing else did Prices went down but not one acre lost Its fertility and all the electrons electrons electrons elec elec- protons and ether waves went wenton wenton on working in their accustomed ways When the depression came caine I was compelled to tP t e a an invoice and soon discovered tit f C was still rich All my capacity foi fo t the e enjoyment of life was intact The depression has not lowered the flue lue of ot a single friendship Neighbors Neighbors Neighbors Neigh Neigh- bors still greet us in the same old cordial way business associates belleve be believe be- be lieve in us and our sons hold us in high respect The wife's welcome at atthe atthe atthe the close of the day has not depreciated depreciated depreciated depre depre- in the least and our daughters continue to lavish their affections upon us with the same old ance My faith in the goodness of the universe is unimpaired By that faith I am emboldened as I face defeat and despair The prayers my mother taught me and the faith in God instilled Instilled in instilled In- In stilled in me me meby by a devout father remain re remain remain re- re main as priceless treasures no depression depression depression depres depres- sion can carl touch No nation becomes great by becoming becoming becom becom- ing rich Neither does a man find enduring satisfaction in life by own own- in g something only by becoming something The most degrading poverty poverty pov pov- erty is that which results from kill- kill Continued on Page Pare Eight I Am Still Rich Continued From Page 1 Ing tog the spirit that the body may be served This depression has cost us some of the things we created but it has robbed us of none of our power to create crute We may lose some beautiful things but we have tave lost no love lo of the beautiful It is a challenge ehl not a catastrophe A generation gent ration that has conquered the theair sir air and sent giant planes circling the globe which has plunged into the I deeps and disported on the oceans ocean's floor which has climbed above the clouds and lived in the is now faced with the challenge to rise above its dependence on mere things and seek an emancipation of the spirit of man The last six months have been for many men a thrilling spiritual adventure adventure ad ad- venture through which they have their real wealth Bereft of dividends and profits they are discovering discovering dis dis- covering the sustaining powers of a strong religious faith the abiding values of courage heroism honor hono charity and trustworthiness A financial crisis can wipe out profits profits pro pro- fits and bring business to a a. a standstill standstill standstill stand stand- still but character is beyond its reach It can rob us of all we have ha but it cannot effect what we are arc The investments we made in ambitious ambitious ambitious am am- youth hospitals crippled- crippled childrens children's camps colleges and service service ser- ser vice institutions go on paying divid divid- ends The deepest satisfactions of life those life those which come from sharing and serving remain secure I am am still rich because I am inde rode Independently independently rich none of my wealth depends upon business conditions or market reports Roy Roy L. L Smith in The Rotarian |