Enough Already.

As we witness institutions fall, like heavily ranked "bones" in a game of Dominoes, brought about by a culture that measures success by accumulation, the following poem, written by Kurt Vonnegut, about his good friend Joe Heller seems appropriate. This was printed in The New Yorker, May 16th, 2005.

Joe Heller
True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, "Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel 'Catch-22'
has earned in its entire history?"
And Joe said, "I've got something he can never have."
And I said, "What on earth could that be, Joe?"
And Joe said, "The knowledge that I've got enough."
Not bad! Rest in peace!"--Kurt Vonnegut