Feeling the need for a bit of conversation,(it gets lonely here with nobody but my dog to talk to), I drove down to Clyde’s. As I walked in I saw Clyde sitting at the bar, apparently lost in thought, idly spinning a big gold coin. I joined him.
“Rita can I get a short glass of bourbon, hon?
“Whatcha got there Clyde?”
He stopped spinning the coin and handed it to me as Rita set a short glass in front of me.
“I’ve been hearing these radio ads. Ads that say my paper dollars soon won’t be worth a tinker’s dam. Now that my place here has become a somewhat respectable restaurant, I figgered I need a safe investment plan.
“I decided these guys might be right. I mean a fifty cent hot dog can’t be had for fifty cents no more. If my fifty centses ain’t worth fifty cents no more, my dollar sure ain’t either. So I bought ten thousand dollars worth of these things,” He fished in his shirt pocket and held up another gold Krugerrand.
“But today I got to thinking. There’s gotta be a better investment than gold coins.”
Clyde is not noted for his thinking, But he is noted for the unique quality of his thoughts.
“What did you think about Clyde? I doubt there can be a better investment than gold. Sure, it’s price goes up and down, but it ain’t never been worth nothing.”
“The guy on the radio keeps saying my paper dollars soon won’t be worth anything. But he’s willing to trade my soon to be worthless dollars for gold.
“Why would he do that? The real question here is what does he want to trade them for after I send them to him? He’s going to buy something with those dollars, What is it?”
I pondered that for a moment, and realized I had no answer.
Clyde continued, “Sure, I’ll keep ’em. They are quite pretty, but just what is out there that he wants to trade my soon to be worthless paper dollars for? Something that must be more valuable than gold?
“That’s the one thing I really want to invest in.”
