On his way home from a long road trip, at dusk, a salesman is
flagged down at the side of the road by a bum. The guy is foul
smelling, his clothes are ragged, he's unshaven in short; a mess.
"Hey buddy! Can you spare five dollars?" says the bum.
"You'll probably just spend it on alcohol," replied the salesman.
"Don't drink," said the bum.
"Cigarettes, then," countered the salesman.
"Don't smoke," replied the bum.
"Well, you would probably end up gambling it away," asserted the salesman.
"Don't gamble," replied the bum.
"Ok, said the salesman, I'll give you five dollars, but I'll need to take you home, since I don't have any change on me."
"Fine with me," replied the bum, "it's not like I have any place to be right now anyway."
So the salesman drives the bum to his place, and walks him in the front door to get the five dollars. His wife immediately asks, "Honey, who is this and what is he doing here?"
The salesman brushes by his wife and heads upstairs to get the bum the five dollars.
"Is he staying for dinner?" asks his wife.
"No," came the reply from upstairs.
"Will he be doing some work around the house?" she asked, looking up the stair for her husband to return while keeping a sharp eye on the bum near the door.
"No," replied the salesman as he bounded down the stairs with a five dollar bill in his hand. "Here you go," he said handing the five dollar bill to the bum. "Honey, I brought this kind stranger home just to give him five dollars AND so you could first hand what happens to a man if he stops drinking, smoking and gambling!"
Moral of the story. As any sales professional knows, smoking, drinking or gambling at work could cost you your job. Only the sales greats truly understand that if you cut smoking, drinking and gambling out altogether; not only does your life become boring; but you stand the chance of sinking your entire career and becoming a bum at the side of the road.
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." - Oscar Wilde
"Hey buddy! Can you spare five dollars?" says the bum.
"You'll probably just spend it on alcohol," replied the salesman.
"Don't drink," said the bum.
"Cigarettes, then," countered the salesman.
"Don't smoke," replied the bum.
"Well, you would probably end up gambling it away," asserted the salesman.
"Don't gamble," replied the bum.
"Ok, said the salesman, I'll give you five dollars, but I'll need to take you home, since I don't have any change on me."
"Fine with me," replied the bum, "it's not like I have any place to be right now anyway."
So the salesman drives the bum to his place, and walks him in the front door to get the five dollars. His wife immediately asks, "Honey, who is this and what is he doing here?"
The salesman brushes by his wife and heads upstairs to get the bum the five dollars.
"Is he staying for dinner?" asks his wife.
"No," came the reply from upstairs.
"Will he be doing some work around the house?" she asked, looking up the stair for her husband to return while keeping a sharp eye on the bum near the door.
"No," replied the salesman as he bounded down the stairs with a five dollar bill in his hand. "Here you go," he said handing the five dollar bill to the bum. "Honey, I brought this kind stranger home just to give him five dollars AND so you could first hand what happens to a man if he stops drinking, smoking and gambling!"
Moral of the story. As any sales professional knows, smoking, drinking or gambling at work could cost you your job. Only the sales greats truly understand that if you cut smoking, drinking and gambling out altogether; not only does your life become boring; but you stand the chance of sinking your entire career and becoming a bum at the side of the road.
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." - Oscar Wilde
