The Businessman

[Derc]

The Businessman

- "May I sit here?"

- "Be welcome."

- "Thank you. It had been a long time since I last sat on a bench in the park."

- "You do not get to parks often, do you?"

- "No. Never got the time. But I tend to do it more often now."

- "So you have time now?"

- "I do. It's a strange feeling."

- "Why is that?"

- "I was a businessman before. Time was the last thing I had in the world."

- "What happened?"

- "I went bankrupt. I worked hard since I was a young boy. I sat in my office until deep in the night. I abandoned my family. I denied myself fun. I suffered burnouts and still went on. For many years I struggled to avoid the inevitable, but in the end I couldn't safe my business."

- "I... am sorry."

- "No need to. It was hard for me in the beginning. But then I realized it wasn't the end of the world. In fact, it is good that it happened."

- "How come?"

- "Even though I have no money anymore, and my reputation is tarnished, I got something much more valuable: time. I managed to get the relationship with my wife back on track. I am able to raise my child, and even though we have to live on budget ever since, I realized how much more I had lost if I went on with my business. I would have kept working relentlessly until my retirement, or my death. I would only have learned about my error when it was too late, if at all."

- "How old are you now?"

- "I am in my early 50's. You?"

- "I am 76."

- "Why do you look so depressed, old man?"

- "Like you, I was a businessman. But my business was successful."

[Alwyn]

This is a well-executed twist on the usual way of thinking about success, and the missed opportunities which success can lead to.

[Shoebopp]

That was succinct yet impactful. You've packaged an important life lesson in a single short scene. Kudos!