Yet another interesting article from the NYT that’s worth blogging about.  Certainly since many others have.  I read it earlier today, but decided to sit on it, or let my mind mull over it, and allow distill over the brain cells while I had a great time with my family doing fairly simple things.  Going to the park.  Playing with my son.  Barbecuing over a gas stove.

Because most weekends I’m actually at hospital (well, at least two out of every four).

So, I’m writing this without trying to sound the least bit holier-than-thou, but I find myself failing miserably.  If that’s the case, please call me out on it, and/or ignore this post.  Consider yourself warned.

The gist of the article is that there is a distinct population of folks in Silicon Valley who seem blessed by good fortunes, but still cannot find happiness in their wealth.  Instead they continue to toil away for a variety of reasons, some of which have to do with the fact that they seem to love their work, but for others, their impetus for working has to do with their urge to keep up with the Joneses.  Its not enough to have a million dollar net worth when you have the gnawing sensation that your friends/co-workers/enemies/mentors/janitorial staff is secretly or actually making multiples of what you’re earning.

The gut reaction is to be disgusted by this incredibly callow attitude at life.  And I’ll admit I had it too for a few minutes (although at the time I thought it was the chicken salad).  But, that was overtaken by a few other thoughts, namely that folks like the ones profiled in the NYT really need to have their realities adjusted before reality adjusts them.

And by this I mean the importance of understanding and never taking for granted what is around you, especially when your life is actually full of plenty.  Which is really an understatement for single-digit millionaires (and its almost absurd to have to qualify the word ‘millionaire’ with the phrase ’single-digit’).

Because for *everyone*, there is a time when everything will change in what seems like a blink of an eye, whether its something that directly happens to you, or worse, perhaps, someone that you love and care about.

And when *that* happens, whether its the result of an accident, or a life-changing diagnosis, or worsening condition of someone you love, you’ll realize that nothing before really mattered.

You know, I was about to open and end this post with something glib like “these guys need to volunteer in a palliative care center or the cancer ward of a children’s hospital.”  That may or may not still be the case.  But really, folks who have their priorities misplaced don’t exclusively live in Silicon Valley, and they don’t need to be millionaires either (single or multiple digit).  In all cases, I hope people like them do come to an understanding of what “really matters”, whatever it is to them — because I can almost guarantee that in all of them, its not really the pursuit of More.