Saturday, August 25, 2007

Money Money




Posters that Guinness brought out a few years ago, using John F Kenneddys words.
The football semi final Dublin V Kerry..Kerry won so its Kerry V Cork for the final.
The holy nun is saying her prayers and her rosary beads are in the Kerry colors.
Click on the picture of the Dublin line painters their smiles look great.

Perhaps next year lads.




This is the new flavor of modern Ireland, like bringing it all back home, the festival of the new cultures at the weekend was a big success, I didn't see it.

I worked too hard during the week which made a mess of the weekend and I had to rest. If it was raining soup I would be out there with a fork trying to catch it.


A lot of people who ride in my taxi hear the story about the day I met Chuck Feeney, well there is a book out about him,I gave him a prize a few months ago as being the passenger who impressed me the most.

TURNED OUT HE WAS A BILLIONARE WHO GAVE AWAY HIS BILLIONS FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND
Funny thing is that he is a nice normal guy, you could enjoy a coffee with him, share a joke.

He gave me free advice.
Because you read this I will pass it on to you. Free.

His advice to me was this.
I would love to have your job, meeting different people every day something new all the time.
You will learn a lot from people if you listen and ask the right questions.

I added my 20 cents by saying its not all moonlight and roses you know.

What bothers you most?

When people get into the car for example and say I have to be at the airport in 10 minutes step on it or I will be late.
OK Turn it around they are putting the blame on you for them being late.
Stop the car, take out their bags and wish them a safe trip!
You should not allow them to bully you.

He is right there, I have refused fares since then and felt better for it.

On Money..........
If you can pay your way and your health is good that is a good start.
Spend time with your kids while they are young, they need your time when they are young and if you give it now they won't need you when they are older.

Rest and avoid stress, it can kill you as quickly as a bullet.

You know good health is everything and all the money in the world can't get your health back.

The other thing is avoid addictions, drink ,drugs,gambling,even work can be addictive.
What is important in your life ?. Work towards that.

It takes a very little difference for you to loose all the things that are important.
But if you really don't know what is important ,where are you going?

Money can bring great problems poverty is the other side of the coin.

Be alert,calmness comes when you live your life within your means.
Don't buy what you don't need and don't have a want for things you can do without.

He asked me later on if I would be available to meet friends of his and take them around Dublin,bring them to theater and show them around,he would have no problem paying me.
I said that waiting around for people to have their meals was not really my scene.
No I mean for you to accompany them.

The next lines from my mouth I regret saying but it is true.

I have family commitments and really I must be available at home at odd times during the day.
This is why I drive a taxi,it allows me to come and go.
I won't say I will do something and then not turn up.

So in effect I turned him down flat. I should have said that would be great,I would love to do it but..

The Irish Times published his story the next day, thats how I found out who he was and thankfully I retained the wisdom he gave me.

Good ideas are simple and simple ideas are good.

He made his fortune by INVENTING DUTY FREE !


I often wonder when the bubble bursts how will a lot of shall we say "adviser" type people will fare out.You know the type, give you the destination and its on to the mobile,showing you how important they are.
If you listen to them,provided they are not speaking "Jargon",when the radio is broken you can pick up on the mistakes that they are making..two guys I went to school with gave me a good payback once for information gathered this way.
They are lucky bastards same age as me,retired and living in the Bahamas now.
They are good guys really and I know that they really want me to visit and I will go, some day.(OK Ken hope your hat didn't blow off in the storm)

My poor old mum is failing. She is sleeping a lot of the time,a peaceful death is a wish that we all hope for. Like a ship ending its voyage, engines slowing down,the noises and pace of movement changing.
Poor woman she has a form of altzimers for a while and often she will not know who you are. But she is content.

Good night I must fix my eye on a distant star.

4 comments:

  1. Good ideas are simple and simple ideas are good

    That's the truth!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:27 AM

    always enjoy your blog John, read it between first coffee and daily newspaper, especially interested in the nuts and bolts of the taxi business in Dublin, keep on keeping on :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2:33 PM

    will say a prayer for your mum x

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are a lot of nuts working at the taxi business in Dublin. But few bolts to keep it all in place.
    They reckon that in Dublin there will be 20,000 taxis in Dublin by Christmas,for a population of 2 mill.

    Thanks for the prayers.

    Chuck Feeney was a hell of a guy.
    So was Stephen Speillburg.
    People who seek you out.

    ReplyDelete