Money or freedom?

There were two friends. One was very happy, and the other one was always sad and miserable. One day the first friend asked the fellow who was always sad, “Why are you nowadays so often sad and depressed?”

He answered, “The salary that I am getting is not enough. I have a big family. I have a wife, children and so many expenses. I am so sad that I do not have enough money.”

On that very day the sad fellow’s wife went to the kindhearted friend and said, “Can you not do something for my husband? We have such a big family, and he is always sad and depressed because he does not have enough money.”

The friend answered, “Definitely, definitely! I will go to his boss. His boss is my friend. I will tell his boss to give him an important job so he will make more money. But he will have to spend a few more hours working every day.”

The wife said, “As long as he gets more money, he will gladly do it.”

The wife made the arrangement without the husband’s knowledge. When the husband went to work the next day, he got a promotion. He was transferred to a very good job in another section. Now he was making lots of money and bringing it home to his wife. Then again he started feeling sad and depressed. One day the boss said to the unhappy worker, “I have given you such a good job. Why are you sad, why are you so depressed? You are making lots of money.”

The man said, “This work is too much for me! I have no holidays and I cannot go anywhere.”

The boss said, “Which one is better — your old, simple job or your new, important job?”

The man said, “The first one! I did not have enough money, but even with the little money I had, I used to go wherever I wanted to go. Now I have money, but I am not allowed to go anywhere because I have got so much responsibility. I do not want so much responsibility! I do not need so much money. I will be satisfied with just a little money as long as I do not have too much responsibility. Then I will be able to go wherever I want to, whenever I wish.”