A display in a museum in Deadwood, South Dakota, includes an inscription scrawled many years ago by a beleaguered prospector: “I lost my gun. I lost my horse. I am out of food. The Indians are after me. But I've got all the gold I can carry.”
The prospector had one objective in mind — to get rich. In his desperate craving to pile up wealth, he risked and lost everything he had — even his life. And he found that he could not take his gold with him.
About his wealth, years ago a famous comedian humorously cracked, “Well, if I can't take it with me, I'm not going.” That comedian died many years ago and, of course, he left his wealth behind.
One man reportedly arrived at the Pearly Gates pushing a wheelbarrow full of gold. (Maybe it was the above prospector!) He insisted on taking it in. But St. Peter asked, “Why did you bring all that street pavement with you?” Of course, in this facetious story, he would not need that “street pavement” on streets already paved with the substance.
It is true that we cannot take it with us. But we can send it up ahead!
– Bill Bright – 1921-2003 – Daily Insights, May 16, 2003