Slavery or addiction

Pat and Jeff quickly became our first friends in California. We had so much in common. They were relocating to the Bay Area at the same time and from the same place that we were. Pat and Mrs. W had also been co-workers back in Kansas City and had known each other for several years. Our friendship was meant to be.

Besides all we had in common, there was one thing we didn't quite agree on--politics. Pat and Jeff have a pretty liberal mindset and they fit in well with the politics of Northern California. It's been a slightly more difficult adaptation for me. We've kept our political discussions friendly and, in spite of this one difference, Pat and Jeff are friends for life.

Last evening, while out with them for dinner, the conversation turned, of course, to the death of Pope John Paul II. The Pope wasn't much of a capitalism fan, he was arguably pretty much a socialist. Pat had read about the Pope cautioning folks on becoming "slaves to capitalism" and she feared she'd become just such a slave. We had a pretty good time joking about Pat's enslavement, her Mercedes and her new beach house were nothing but shackles. Finally Mrs. W suggested that perhaps Pat is not so enslaved to capitalism as she is addicted to it. We had a good laugh and Pat seemed to feel better that she is just a junkie and not a slave. Capitalism's not such a bad thing after all.

Pat and Jeff: If you happen to drop by The Happy Capitalist, greetings! Come around anytime.