The Man Who Had Things

There was a man.

He had nothing, and he wasn't very happy about that.

There were other men, of course. The man saw that there were many men who had nothing, and most if them weren't happy either. Except for Tim. Tim had nothing and he didn't seem concerned.

The man also saw many people who had something, and some people who had many somethings. The man saw that the more somethings people had, the happier they were. He wanted dearly to have something for himself.

One day, the man met God. He had many questions for God, but he found he couldn't speak, and God had only one question for the man, so their conversation was short.

God asked, “Why do you want something so bad? What will it bring you?

“It will bring me freedom,” said the man.

“Very well.”

And then the man had everything.

He was thrilled. The man spent days with his things, but soon he became bore with just things, so he went to visit the other men with many things. Many of the other men with many things were to busy trying to get more things to meet the man, and many were distrustful of the man with everything, so they turned him away from their homes, afraid that he might get their things.

The man with everything then turned to the people that had only some things. They were grateful that he bid them welcome, and had many fine days with him, but soon they grew tired of his splendor, as it made them feel like those that had nothing. They also had to work to maintain their somethings and to feed their families, so they no longer visited the man with everything.

The man, thinking of his old friends with nothing, thought it grand to share his good fortune with them. He invited them to come share in his splendor with him, and all the men with nothing came. Except for Tim. They stayed with the man for many days, until the man realized that the people with nothing were stealing some of his everything. He threw them out, afraid of losing anything.

The man was frustrated with the world. He did not have the freedom he though he wanted. He began to believe that nobody was happy. Then he remembered Tim.

So the man went to Tim and asked him. “Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

“But you have nothing.”

“And I need nothing.”

“Then why are you happy.”

“Because I am.”

The man wasn't sure he understood Tim, but he did know that being Tim would not make him happy. The man spent the next 10 days thinking alone. When he came out of his house, he had decided that having freedom wouldn't make him happy, and neither would having everything. He decided that he would try having only something.

He gave all his things away, except for some, and found a smaller house. For three days there was anarchy as his old mansion was raided, but then everything that he had given away had turned into nothing.

The man got a job to make sure he didn't run out of something, and began to make friends with the other people who had something. Some of them wanted more things and weren't happy, but some of them were OK with having only something. He was comfortable with something. He met a girl with something and he was content.

He sometimes wanted more, but everyone always does, and in the end, the man supposed that he might even be happy, if anyone ever really is.