When I become a billionaire, I’ll be able to get a lot of things that have been denied me for eight decades. The quintessential example has been a Jaguar for years. Over the decades, the type of Jaguar varied but not the desire. I’m hoping that this year to scrape together enough money for one. This Jaguar F-Pace is like what I want and could pick up one-off a showroom’s floor for around $75,000.

A Jag like I want to buy

Additionally, I’ll need another $20,000 to outfit for Ginger. She deserves the best that I can provide her. Oh, I forgot. Ginger is my five-year-old Irish Setter. I thought that it was time to make a change in my garage for both Ginger and me.

I showed Ginger what she would look like in our yellow Jag.

To the casual observer, you might have noticed. I had had a blue VW Jetta since 2009, and it has over a quarter-million miles. I just turned seventy-nine, which means I have just over twenty-one years more to out-live George Burns. He died on March 9 of his 100th year, which means I have to live until March 10, 2043. I don’t really think my 2009 Jetta will last another couple of decades.

This is Ginger in our blue Jetta. Our Jaguar will be yellow, in part, because dogs see only two colors: blue and yellow. Therefore, our Jag will be yellow for the next couple of decades.

While Ginger seemed kind of pleased, she was more thoughtful. Then she asked me, “Are things important? Then Ginger pushed further, “You always quote Bobby Kennedy about the ripple effect. ‘Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.’”

Ginger allowed a few nanoseconds to lapse and then asked, “What’s important to you in your twilight years? What’s really important to you? A yellow Jag?”

In less than a couple of nanoseconds, I responded. “There are three critically important groups of living things. Ginger, you are important, and I will take care of you. You have certainly had more medical issues than if you put together a dozen dogs’ medical problems into just one dog. You can count on me.”

Ginger accepted my first statement of love and concern. “What is the next group?” I replied that my students in college. I want them all to succeed.” Ginger started to ask about the third group, but I had already said, “My family in Myanmar is extremely important.” While I managed to get that sentence out, it took me what seemed like a long time to add to that obvious love and concern for them.

Ginger was wise enough not to push her questioning me. She allowed me to emotionally pull myself together. Finally, I told Ginger that my family has provided me with their love, which gave me a purpose for life. I then added that I missed them, but that I would return after the coronavirus and the coup were dealt with successfully.