We had a class re-union this Saturday. It was fun. What struck me was the fact that most of my classmates are stuck in the present or the past. We are all afraid of the future. What will it hold? There are two constants in life – death and taxes. Most of us are ill prepared for both. Indeed death is an uncomfortable topic.
We stayed clear
of discussing our fallen classmates for too long. It was great being frozen in
time with men with whom we had navigated adolescence. The refreshments went down
nicely and inhibitions were dropped but the masks largely remained. Sibling
rivalry is real. We are now beyond competing for school prizes (for academics)
or school colours (for sports). Beyond the camaraderie however, was a bit of
chest thumping – who had the best real estate, who was a member of the most
exclusive club and who had travelled the farthest. I quote Eccl 1:14 “I have seen all the works that are done
under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind”.
Our class
mirrors classes from schools across the country. With the passage of time we
now have different reference groups. We play in different leagues. The bottom
line remains the same – are we adding value, managing risk and making a profit for
the glory of God. They didn’t teach us how to manage money back in school. We
learned that on the streets and in the trenches. They didn’t teach us that corruption
would reach the levels described by our President as standing at KES 2 Billion
a day. We figured our way through the system by being incorruptible or
partially so, hopefully. Now we watch and ask “When did the rain start beating
us?” If truth be told it started beating us on our watch. We said nothing and
played ball. Now the chickens have come home to roost. Now in the October of
our lives we take stock – how did we run our own personal lives and businesses?
Did we save 20% of our earnings and plow it back into sound investments. What
legacy will we leave? What is the value of that legacy?
I am a
Financial Advisor. I have been to a good Secondary School and two good
Universities. I teach what they didn’t teach me and what I learned from the
school of hard knocks. I am driven to improve the lives of people like you who
have a teachable spirit who want to understand money matters including saving, investment
and risk management. People who want to leave a legacy. People who want to remembered. People like you
Nairobi
19 Jan 2021
Email:melvindlima1@gmail.com
