A college student writes to his parents…
“Dear mom and dad,
“I feel miserable because I have to keep writing for money. I feel ashamed and unhappy. I have to ask for another hundred, but every cell in my body rebels. I beg on bended knee that you forgive me.
“Your son,
Marvin.
“P.S. I felt so terrible, I ran after the mailman who picked this up in the box at the corner. I wanted to take this letter and burn it. I prayed that I could get it back. But it was too late.”
A few days later he received a letter from his father. It said,
“Your prayers were answered. Your letter never arrived!”
A new manager spends a week at his new office with the manager he is replacing.
On the last day the departing manager tells him, “I have left three numbered envelopes in the desk drawer. Open an envelope if you encounter a crisis you can’t solve.”
Three months down the track there is major drama, everything goes wrong – the usual stuff – and the manager feels very threatened by it all.
He remembers the parting words of his predecessor and opens the first envelope. The message inside says “Blame your predecessor!”
He does this and gets off the hook.
About half a year later, the company is experiencing a dip in sales, combined with serious product problems.
The manager quickly opens the second envelope. The message read, “Reorganize!”
This he does, and the company quickly rebounds.
Three months later, at his next crisis, he opens the third envelope.
The message inside says “Prepare three envelopes…”
The son of a Saudi mogul goes to study in Europe.
One night, the phone rings at the house of his parents.
Dad: ‘How’s your life going, son?’
Son: ‘It’s going well, dad.’
Dad: ‘Is something wrong? You don’t sound happy.’
Son: ‘No Dad, everything’s fine. Berlin is wonderful, the people are nice and I really like it here.’
Dad: ‘Son, tell me the truth. I know something’s not right.’
Son: ‘Well dad, to be honest, I am a bit ashamed to drive to my college with my pure-gold Ferrari 599GTB when all my teachers and many fellow students travel by train.’
Dad: ‘My dear son, why didn’t you say so earlier? I will send you more funds this instant. Please stop embarrassing us and go and get yourself a train too.’