I hope they get the message

So last tuesday was my half-day at work. Basically, we get paid 8 hours wages for participating in a white elephant gift exchange and eating a free breakfast. Not too shabby. Afterwards, I did my Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew and met with my financial advisor/stock broker to rebalance my portfolio for the coming year.

Buying presents for my nephew(age 10) is mad easy.

1. Any form of weaponry
2. Old coins
3. Precious metals

My niece, who just turned 13 is a mine field. I know she likes clothes and make-up but I’m sure as hell not gonna try to buy her anything in those categories because I’m in my late 30’s and therefore an ancient crusty doofus who knows nothing about fashion. No arguments here. The only other obvious choice is some kind of computer game which she’ll bore with after a month.

I want to instill the same values and ethics I was brought up with. I want to get them both something that they can use for years and plant a nugget in their brains about what life will be like 20 years from now. My nephew has already learned the value of saving money and I want to teach my niece as well. They have no idea how important it is to start saving as soon as possible.

So I bought each of them a safe.

It’s a small but quite beefy pistol gun safe. I already have a silver coin collection I’ve been building for them for the last 5 years and I want them to understand the value of a secret hidey-hole where they can secure their very own “my precious”.

I want them to understand the concept of responsibility for their own financial success. I want them to understand a lock box is where they store that which is valuable.

I’ll be printing out a copy of the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to be the very first things they protect behind 1-inch lock bolts.

Then I’ll be purchasing a 100 ounce brick of pure silver to put inside my latest gun safe after getting the A-OK from my stock broker. I already have 27 ounces in 1 ounce coins dedicated for them as well as some Morgan Silver dollars and Peace dollars willed to me by my Grandfather, when they’re ready to hold on to them rather then liquidate for the latest rage in childhood foolishness.

We may be old and crusty doofuses. We may be out of touch with the latest rage. But one day, they will look back upon us as wise.

Don’t try and be what they want you to be today. Be what they need you to be when the sheer brutality of the real world smacks them in the face like a frozen halibut.