"What is success"? Mr. Black asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term. "Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch(  TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms." One student answered, earning laughs from all the students. Mr. Black smiled, but shook his head. "Tom, that is excess . That is not success." "How about being able to provide for your family?" A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer. "Now we're getting closer," Mr. Black smiled, "but try thinking about what you need and what you want." "Getting everything you want." Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs. Mr. Black sighed ." I believe we've already talked about excess versus(...) success." "Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?" James, sitting in the back wondered aloud. "Quite right!" Mr. Black clapped. "Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though." "What does this have to do with business?" Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn't funny, he wasn't happy. "Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to   their needs, you can then seen to getting the extras that you want." "What if I don't have a family?" he continued to be difficult. "Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one." "He has goldfish to think about!" Peter, Tom's friend, shouted out. "Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl." Mr. Black corrected himself. Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer. "So in the next nine weeks, we're going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards ." Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. "When do we get to start spending?" "You already are, Tom. You're spending time with us!" Mr. Black laughed. "Now, let's see what you guys know about credit cards..." Which student didn't seem to be taking the class seriously?
Tom James Peter Sandy