I wish I was rich, or do I?

A comment on my post yesterday from Gill, has prompted me to write this post today. Thanks Gill for the idea. She says the super yachts, like those moored in London at the moment, are 'such a waste of money'. I feel I have to put my own slant on this statement, as I see it differently. What one person regards as a waste of money, another would see it as a desirable object to own, largely depending on whether the person has the means to pay for it or not. If a super yacht gives pleasure to someone and they can afford it, I don't see it as a waste of money. It does not matter to me what they spend their money on. If I was filthy rich I might buy one myself.

The yachts themselves will have provided many people with an income, from the architects who designed them, to the engineers who built them. I don't begrudge anyone earning a living from supplying the rich with toys to play with. The yachts will continue to provide employment to people for as long as they exist, and probably after they have been de commissioned and broken up for scrap. Maintenance work will need to be carried out on a regular basis, giving work to engineers, painters and decorators, and cleaners. The crew will be paid to move the boats around the world. Suppliers will be making food deliveries, and catering staff will be cooking it.

They may be sold on several times during their lifetime, giving employment to accountants and members of the legal profession. With each change of ownership there will be refurbishment and upgrades, giving more people jobs.

I see them as things of beauty, not ostentatious symbols of capitalism as many people might think of them.  True only the rich can afford them, and in a way, it does seem unfair that only the priviledged few get to play with toys like this. I would like to see a fairer society where wealth is more evenly distributed, but it just isn't going to happen.

Then there is the question of how some people come into great wealth to be able to afford such luxury. To be honest I don't care and it is none of my business. Some people are gifted enough to make money, others are not and that's how it will always be. Wealth does not guarantee you happiness, as most of us know. Some people say they wouldn't mind being rich and miserable, at least they would be comfortable. My preference is to find happiness with what little I have.

Even the wealthy have their ups and downs. Relationship problems, family disputes, poor health, (some of it self inflicted), businesses collapse, leeches who pretend to be friends, divorce, not to mention the hell that the paparazzi vultures give you. Having money does not make you immune from whatever crap others may throw at you. Yes you may be able to hide yourself away in your multimillion pound yacht, but you can't escape the turmoil in your own head.

As usual there is the barrage of negative comments coming out on the Mail article, from those who are envious and bitter. Heaven forbid if someone is actually enjoying a lifestyle which they can well afford. Envy is a destructive emotion which can eat away at your soul. Envy can screw your brain up so that you are no longer able to recognise what is really important in life.

I feel no animosity whatsoever towards rich people. I have no interest in how they accumulate their wealth, or how they spend it. If Frank Lowy wants to buy a super yacht called ILONA, I am happy for him to borrow my name, ha ha.