Almosts

The past few years, I have become a tremendous has been!  My life held so much promise that hasn’t ever materialized.  But that is not what this is about.  Recently, we had the great opportunity of being ‘almosts’.

It was a fairly small investment considering the promise it held.  At first we were going to net 13 million which of course the government would take 34% right off the top and that would leave us with 8+ million of which the state would take 24%.  But after all that we would still be left with 6.5 million.  It was a done deal – a slam dunk.  There were closed meetings, web conferences, special chats, and a host of delays.  We couldn’t really wrap our heads around it, but we did discuss how we would navigate the common pitfalls and what we would do to ensure it didn’t leave us and others we care about poorer than when we began.  We were contacted about other group actions and investments and we said “Let’s wait for the reality of this to set in.”

One night our investor called and asked us to join in a larger coalition that wanted to take our bit, combine it with others and trade it in another market because the original deal was becoming shaky and the US government was blocking its completion.  I had been reading a lot, watching pretty carefully and understood that already.  Several people had walked out of the country and tried to trade in foreign markets.  Yet everyone who had tried to personally take action had been arrested or thwarted.  Then we were informed that the government would require NDAs when we went to the ‘bank’ to ‘cash in’.  You've probably already assumed we aren't talking about Arvest or First National of Fort Smith.

This whole time, all the US based articles claimed it was a hoax and only when you ventured into articles in certain parts of the world would you get any information at all.  All the information I found indicated that it was tied to a clandestine deal made between governments over a decade ago.  It also indicated that perhaps it was not supposed to include the ‘common man.’   That made me feel that something was totally wrong with the ‘deal’ and I asked my Mr how he would react if we lost even the original investment.  He said “We still have ………...”

Finally when months passed and another offer to redeem our wad in another market came, my husband decided to join and turned over the goods.  This promised a far less enlightening return, but still in the 7 digit range.  I had a weird foreboding about that whole deal.  Frankly I felt that the market they were headed for was a bad choice.  Then I began reading about arrests –again foreign articles-  I read about under the table bargaining and some unprincipled actions proposed by the original source.  When caught, it seemed that these ‘investors’ were being jailed and their assets being impounded until all things were settled.  The accepting country was being threatened with charges of treaty violations but only under the radar.  When I wandered out into those information highways, I felt like I was trapped in an old movie looking through bars at smokestacks while being drugged and hypnotized to cleanse my memory.

Our trip to Verona had ended and we were left with our original investment and no real paper trail.  Did all that really happen?  But unlike ‘The Trip to Verona’, the investors were still online and many of them still expect the big return to happen any day now.  They have discussed how and why people were taken out by the government and a few have produced scanned documents that appear official and would caution against creating any grass roots hysteria.  The original investor said “You can have your money back or your ……….. back, which ever you choose.”  
For us, it’s not a great loss.  The amount we invested would buy a wanted item or two that would break down or wear out in time.  There were others in the group that are the same way.  Their concern is similar to the stupid gnat that keeps flying around my head and nose in my study.  But for some, the investment though equal in amount was far greater in consequence.  Those are the ones I pity.  They were ‘almost’ wildly wealthy.  They ‘almost’ had enough to buy a good home and a nice vehicle and live independent of worry.  One lost his job in the middle of this and has carried on with a string of minor employments.  Another lost his health and has medical bills sky high.  I would much rather have my ‘almost’ than theirs.

Proverbs 16: (NIV)

            8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

            9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Thought for the day: Never gamble what you cannot live without.