If I Were A Millionaire

Essay No. 01

If I were a millionaire, what shall I do with my millions? Of course, I cannot eat my Gold! I can eat two meals a day like the poorest of human beings.

I will use this money to bring an end to the money-minded civilization. Money has become a great problem. Nobody thinks of the work he can do. Everybody thinks of the money; he can extract from the others.

The first method to achieve my aim would be to form a small community where people would work together for the good of all without thinking of the individual. Everybody would devote himself to the general good. Money would have a secondary position in its thinking, living and doing.

It might be small community of say a hundred men, women and children. They would pool together all their resources—men, money and material. All money would be kept in a common fund which would create opportunities of employment, food, clothing, houses and entertainment for everybody. We should pool together our technical skills and other resources for the good of alt. Production on a large scale is always cheaper and better. To this common effort I would give my millions.

This is how I will use money. I will create a money less civilization. Money is the prime cause of all troubles in the modern world. What we need is a civilization with less stress on the profit motive, a state in which qualities of head and heart are more prized than power and possessions.

This in brief, is my scheme to use millions. I would pass my days supervising the community institutions. I know I will have my hands full, but the satisfaction that I will get from my belief that my money is being properly used, will more than compensate me.

It is also possible that I will have to meet some opposition from various people. I may earn many nicknames, but these things will not deter me. For I know that the task of community welfare is a thankless task. But I know also that my work will be certainly appreciated in the long run.

Actually it is very difficult to say what would have happened if the circumstances were difficult. Since I am not a millionaire, I can make many claims on my conscience. But if the voice of conscience however feeble, is any guide, I would say, with certainty, that I would love to live like any poor man if I were a millionaire.

Essay No. 01

If I were a Millionaire

Outline: Introduction – alms to the beggars – help to the poor relations – help to poor children – make my fellowmen happier – healthy and happy pursuits -conclusion.

If I were a millionaire, I would have a plan to use the money in the best possible way. This is how I would go about it:

First, I would give alms to the beggars in my town. I would particularly help the blind and the maimed beggars. I do not have an iota, of respect for the aide -bodied ones.

When this would be done, I would send for all my poor relations, and give at least thousand rupees to each of them. I have a very poor relation, a struggling writer. I would give him five thousand rupees. I would also ask all of them to come to my place from time to time to share joys with me. I would never for a moment be selfish and tight – fisted. On the contrary, I would arrange an ice – cream party, once a week, to treat the children of my near and dear ones.

Then I would set aside fifty thousand rupeesin helping poor children. I would see to it that they could go to college on clearing the S.S.C.

Wealth, as we all know, has no absolute power to procure happiness. As soon as wealth is in our grasp, we are tempted to use it for all kinds of bad purposes. Therefore, if I were a millionaire, I would never touch drink, gamble, or go in for any evil pursuit. I would rather go in for the promotion of the welfare and happiness of mankind. This is a laudable ambition and it would be the ideal of my happiness. As a truly philanthropic person, I would always try to make my fellowmen happier. My aim would always be to work for the upliftment of humanity. Any calamity that would befall a person I know would make me unhappy, and I would feel akin to the misery as if I myself had met with a personal loss. I would indeed be a help to the helpless. I would go in disguise at night through the streets of my town to locate the extent of wretchedness and squalor among the people. I would use a lot of my millions to preach the religion of unity, of brotherhood, and of the service to mankind.

It would always be my pride to have healthy and happy pursuits. My chief pleasures would be not only spiritual but also intellectual and artistic. I would buy a lot of good books to read and a fine collection of Indian and Western classical music — compact discs and would travel from Tokyo to Timbuctoo, for travel is education.

Lastly, I would invest the rest of the money in a bank, for I know that the Goddess of Wealth is fickle. Who knows I might become a splendid pauper tomorrow!

Difficult Words: Alms – gifts to the poor. tight – fisted – miserly; not parting with money easily. procure – get. secure. laudable – praise – worthy. squalor – dirtiness and poverty. disguise – act of changing the appearance of oneself. Timbuctoo – town in western Africa in mall (formerly fr.Sudan). near the Niger river. pauper – beggar.