I want money...thats what I want

As the 1960's song, MONEY by Barret Strong goes – “the best things in life are free, you can give it to the birds and the bees, I need money, that’s what I want”

Combination briefcase used to store my cash on hand

I have always been interested in money, acquiring it, accumulating it and more importantly viewing or counting it.

As a boy, I used to go the bank once a month, so during the time, I was conducting my various entrepreneurial activities, I would have my money safely locked up in my briefcase – hidden at the back of my clothes in the cupboard.

Like any obsessed (well, more like – highly motivated) child, I would occasionally go to my room, close the door, open the cupboard, and move all the clothes out the way and grab my black leather briefcase. I would put in the combination of the lock (for the life of me, I do not remember the combination) and take out my bank bag.

Inside there would be other smaller plastic bank bags, with 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, and R1, R2 and R5 coins. Then a bag for the paper money.

I enjoyed the activity of sorting and counting the money, much like what a collector of stamps or other rare things would. The exhilaration and joy was received could not be easily replicated with other tasks. Mind you, I was quite the avid athlete, contrary to my rather comfortable physic – I was a 100m and 200m sprinter and a rugby player, and I could still surprise a few people.

Back then the desire for money was innocent - not based on a needs analysis of staples and wants.

This compulsion to amass more money was an objective involving the need to collect and admire and not as a source of accumulating power or to have choice in life and meet the needs of daily living.

It was a passion, a requirement in entrepreneurship, a passion for something, far beyond making of money.

I was very blessed to have won the genetic lottery, been born where I was, having had the parents I have and been exposed to the types of personalities, experiences and schooling that I had.

As a child I do not remember a single day I had to wonder where the next meal would come, an unfortunate reality for many young children in South Africa today. With little to no responsibilities, I was free to accumulate and admire my case full of money – at least till I had to take to the bank.

As my accounting teacher would attest, I was never very attentive in class or performed extremely well, but the fundamentals learnt, I used very well. I had drawn up journals for all my intakes and statements of everything – reconciled with bank statements and a cash flow statement drawn up from that.

Though I enjoyed this too, I found it quite repetitive and boring, hence I never pursued a career in accounts.

My love of money was a simple interaction – I got some, lost a bit and gave away to the bank, in the form of banking charges, a lot more than I should have – all as an innocent game. A game that would lay the foundations for the future.