Feelin' lucky?

Jan Neher has fallen for the class-envy line that the rich really don't deserve what they have -- they just lucked into it (if they didn't steal it). "Can the rich recognize that being rich has just as much to do with luck as it does for (sic) working hard?"

Well, Jan, it has been my experience that most "lucky" people made their luck. For example, Mr. Essie May and I realized early on that some of the keys to a good living were education, patience, and perseverance. So we put on hold a lot of things we wanted . . . a new car, a down payment on a house, nice clothes, eating out. We got Mr. Essie May through school first. I went to school part-time, worked full-time, sometimes two jobs, while Mr. Essie May worked full-time in the summers and part-time during school. Most of our money went for tuition and books while we lived in a little one-room apartment, drove a 10-year old car, and decided whether to have beans or potatoes for supper.

When Mr. Essie May finished school, he hit the pavement looking for a job. He "lucked" into one of the first ones he applied for. It didn't pay much, but it looked good on his resume. We were able to "luck" into buying a small, older house in a lower-middle class neighborhood and trading up to a little nicer car. But we still ate lots of beans and potatoes. We were on a pretty tight budget. However, Mr. Essie May decided to further his education, and he "lucked" into a Masters degree. Then he "lucked" into passing the exams for his professional license.

After a few years, Mr. Essie May heard about a job opening for a position that paid considerably more than he was making. It was "lucky" for him that he had "lucked" into that Masters degree and that professional designation, because it helped him edge out the competition and "luck" into getting that job. And, "lucky" for him, he found a second part-time job to stash back some money for us to take occasional vacations. We are "lucky" to be able to travel to some pretty nice destinations.

We don't exactly live the life of Riley now, but we do have a very comfortable life and no major financial concerns. And, according to Jan, we have all this not because we worked hard and planned for it, but because we were "just lucky."

The truth, Jan, is that those who truly believe what you say will probably be "unlucky" all their lives and will continue to sit back and envy those who are "lucky." And those who realize how silly your premise is will most likely find themselves with more "luck" than they can handle.

"If I were a rich man . . ." The Dallas Morning News; April 11, 2011; p. 14A.