Don't Give Too Much For Your Whistle

Here is some food for thought this week: (Taken from the book “A Biography of Benjamin Franklin)



 

In the year 1779, Benjamin Franklin

from Passy, France, to a friend, as follows:

“When I was a child of seven years old my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and, being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers, sisters, and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money, and laughed at me so much for my folly that I cried with vexation, and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

“This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Don’t give too much for the whistle; and I saved my money.


“As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whistle…


“If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth, Poor man said I, you pay too much for your whistle…


“If I see on fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, Alas! Say I, he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.


“When I see a beautiful, sweet-tempered girl, married to an ill-natured brute of a husband, What a pity, say I, that she should pay so much for a whistle.


“In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles.”



How about you all? Have you ever paid too much for a "whistle?" How did this effect you in a bad sense? How did this effect you for the better?


I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week.


Blessings in Christ’s name,


Kelsey