Fake Money

 

Hi Koko,

The last letter about your birthday was a little heavy, huh? Let's talk about bright new and shiny things then. Gifts! Bright beautiful, wrapped in the most exquisite paper, with ribbons and that smell of excitement and surprise bundled into it.

I legit loved birthday parties when I was a kid just to wait till the time I would unwrap my presents. The swoosh of fresh paper being cut - not with scissors, but with bare hands is something else. The entire feeling of what it could be, the anticipation, the wait and then the final moment of unravelling it from the box. Nothing compares to that heady feeling. To me the best ones are still the surprise ones. Don’t ask me what I want I say, I could buy what I want myself, if you want to give me something, surprise me!

So one of the (many) gifts you received this year was Game of Life. Now when I was a child, I remember playing Game of Life with cousins. That beautiful Hasbro game with a Spin a Wheel mechanic right on the board. I was so fascinated with it as a child. You start with a wad of cash and you are dealt a hand you have to live with for most part of your life unless of course you improve yourself with education or other enterprises along the way. You play out your entire life in a space of an hour maybe – you study, you work, you travel, you star in a TV show or even write a bestseller. It’s one life, live it up.

Memory is such a strange thing, it plays tricks with your mind. When I set it up, you were mildly amused but not ecstatic. I was also a little underwhelmed. Taking nothing away from the game, it’s still loads of fun. 

We started playing and you wanted to be an athlete and a lawyer, you wanted to star in a movie and have twins, then retire in the millionaire mansion – a full and complete life. You walked all the avenues and picked up experiences. I was ultra-competitive as I always get with board games. I wanted to look at every special card which would give me more money, I wanted the biggest house and the best job. I can’t even remember who won, but you definitely came out of it happier.  

As we were wrapping up you made an astute observation, “so the one with the most fake money wins?” As per the rules of the game, yes. But as we sat there, sorting the pink notes and the miniatures, I had a moment of epiphany if you will. Sorry Hasbro, you got it wrong, the one with most fake money should not win, the one who has done the most real things in life should. At the cost of making the most obvious metaphor, are the richest people the happiest in life really? This wise little man gets it.

Love,

Ma