When I was young, I always thought that wealthy people were the ones with fancy cars and a nice house.

I had two friends in my neighborhood who always appeared to be very wealthy in my mind’s eye.  They were the girls who always had the nicest clothes, took dance lessons, piano lessons, and were always going on family trips.  I would often hear my dad say things like, “If things don’t pick up, meaning sales, I am going to have to sell pencils on a street corner because, being a salesman, and times were slow, this was his way of letting us all know that he was sort of worried.  He never had to sell pencils on a street corner, but it certainly left an impression on me.  The fact of the matter was, when I now go past the old homestead, I realize that it was our house that was most impressive.