Watch

Watch

An old man meets a young man who asks:
“Do you remember me?”
And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:
“What do you do, what do you do in life?”
The young man answers:
“Well, I became a teacher.”
“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.
“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”
The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:
“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.
I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.
Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.
Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student’s watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’
I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to.
You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.
You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.
However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.
We did as instructed.
You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone’s pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’
You didn’t tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.
But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.
I received your message clearly.
Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.
Do you remember this episode, professor?
The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn’t remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’
This is the essence of teaching:
If to correct you must humiliate; you don’t know how to teach “
Credit goes to respective owner
The Wedding

The Wedding

💍 “Dad, can you lend me $10,000 for the wedding?” my son asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Ten thousand dollars? How much is the wedding going to cost?”

“About thirty grand. We already maxed our savings and took out a small loan, but we’re still short. You always said I could come to you if I really needed help…”

I nodded and told him, “Bring your fiancée over. Let’s talk.”

They arrived that evening. I welcomed them into my office, poured some coffee, and asked:

“Why does the wedding cost $30 k?”

“It’s our big day,” my son said. “We want a beautiful venue and a big guest list. She’s always dreamed of that.”

I looked at his fiancée.

“Have you always dreamed of a lavish party… or a happy marriage?”

She paused.

“A happy marriage—of course.”

I leaned back.

“The wedding is one night. The marriage is the rest of your life.

Going into debt for a party makes no sense. Most of those guests will drift out of your life within a few years.”

I told them about my own experience: a huge wedding, mountains of debt. Everyone ate, danced, and left. My wife and I were stuck with bills—no one else covered our rent or utilities. I’ve watched couples start out stressed, arguing over money, all for one Instagram‑worthy evening.

My son shifted uncomfortably.

“If you can’t help, that’s fine—but the lecture feels harsh.”

His fiancée stopped him.

“Wait. Your dad’s right. We can do something smaller, simpler, and focus on what actually matters.”

I smiled and opened my desk drawer.

Inside was an envelope.

“Here’s $20,000—but it’s not for the wedding. Use it for something with real, lasting value: a down payment, an emergency fund, a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip you’ll remember long after the cake is gone.”

Then I added:

“A wise couple builds a life, not just a photo album.

The measure of a marriage isn’t how it begins, but how it grows day by day.”

They were silent, this time with gratitude.

💡 Takeaway

The worth of a marriage isn’t set by the size of the party—it’s measured by the strength of the commitment.

Starting life together in debt just to impress others is a risk to what’s most precious: your bond.

Invest less in show and more in the life you’re building—together.

The wedding