I wrote this poem (essay) 15 years ago, when Dan and our Jindo dog, Sammi, were still with us, and we lived in beautiful Rancho Mirage, CA. This reveals how I thought about time and what it means to be a successful long-term investor, building wealth and financial independence.
Backyard
I got up this morning and had my usual cup of coffee. I noticed that early morning light was just beginning to form on the horizon over our backyard. I took my coffee and Sammi outside and just watched and listened. I recall Henry D. Thoreau did the same. He got up, made himself a cup of coffee, and stayed in his rocking chair from sunrise till noon, immensely enjoying every moment.
I noticed the palm trees’ silhouette as the pre-dawn light was slowly getting brighter and brighter, standing tall and regal as if nothing could top me. The first chirping of the birds broke the night silence. I imagined this morning routine had been practiced for thousands of years, long before humans came to this valley (the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs). I wonder how many animals, insects, creatures of all types have been born, raised, and died in our backyard in the millions of years of establishment, perhaps, even a dinosaur or two walked on this backyard. How many fish lived in our backyard when the entire Coachella Valley was under the sea? I imagined the ancient indigenous peoples walking through our backyard. I imagined what it was like when the first European walked on this property, only decades ago. But all there is now is Dan, Sammi, and me, and our wonderful home for this brief time, an eyeblink, in this inconsequential morning routine in our backyard.
Fast-forward to March 21, 2020, and Georgiana and I were married in the same backyard. It was such a beautiful venue that some people might think we were married in Hawaii!
