hackthis_archive (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hackthis_archive) wrote2002-06-10 09:46 am
hackthis_archive) wrote2002-06-10 09:46 am
can’t buy me love
Is money the root of all evil, or are people just gonna fuck it up anyway? rich or poor be damned? I mean I used to have money and was miserable fucker; now I ain’t got two nickels but I seem to be pretty happy. Of course that’s a completely different story about whatever the fuck I call being zen … maybe it’s just the chemical enhancements.
~ * ~
'If bad times paid interest
I'd have you to thank
Yeah, I'd be driving a new car
Have money in the bank
And I'd be the richest man
I'd be the richest man, in the world
-Counting Crows ‘The Richest Man’
According to the National Geographic in Lex’s office, the richest man in the world is the Sultan of Brunei. He’s got so much money that Clark’s brain can’t even compute that many zeroes and has to put a few on the next line.
It’s just beyond Clark’s comprehension.
The richest man in the world has got his own *country*. It should really be called something like Brunei Land.
It’s just mind-boggling, the idea of all that money. Never worrying about tractor repairs and truck parts and where the mortgage money is going to come from. There are some things that Clark just can’t ever conceive of. Having money like that.
Maybe one day, when Lex is the richest man in the world, he’ll live someplace called Lex Country.
Lex could probably have his own country right now though. Lex has everything else that money can buy, why not a country?
Maybe that’s what Lex needs.
As he flips through the pages of the magazine, Clark wonders if the Sultan is happy. If people that rich even think about things like being happy, or if that’s something that you only worry about when you start avoiding your bank manager’s phone calls.
Happiness as something tangible, like money in the bank. Money in your wallet, and a Ferrari or three in the garage.
Of course the Sultan isn’t the richest man in Clark’s little world. Maybe he’s not a very good example.
Clark’s not rich, but he thinks he’s happy. As happy as he knows how to be when his parents are in debt and the girl he adores is in love with someone else. And, okay, so Clark isn’t spoiled, at least not by his parents, but he still has Lex.
Lex makes him happy.
And yet, Lex is the richest man that Clark knows, but he doesn’t seem to be very happy. Maybe when you’re that rich it doesn’t matter. Maybe when you can buy everything you have to find other stuff to keep you happy.
Maybe that’s why Lex likes Clark.
Maybe happiness is just a by-product.
~ * ~
“Planning on saving the rainforests, Clark?”
“Maybe during Spring Break, it’d be cool to get away from Kansas.” From the boy who’s only been to Metropolis twice, three times counting the Zero incident.
“Good idea to plan ahead, it’ll probably take a day or two at least.”
That wry Lex grin that’s nothing like happiness and everything like resignation.
“Lex?”
Silence.
“Are you happy?”
More silence and something fleeting that even Clark can’t catch. “Are we talking rhetorically or literally?”
“Just in general, I think.”
“Well, at this moment in time I’ve got a cost analysis that’s a pain in the ass, so no, I’m not particularly happy.”
“I meant more general than that.”
“I think that’s a pretty broad topic to cover, Clark. Happiness is a pretty subjective thing. Any particular reason you’re asking?”
“I was just curious.”
“You always are.”
“It’s just that you have all this – this stuff, but it doesn’t seem -”
“To make me happy?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Happiness is a by-product, Clark. You get it where you can.”
A by-product. Like something you get at a store. Something you buy. Maybe money isn’t the answer.
Maybe it’s the problem.
“Lex?”
“Yes, Clark?”
“Just so you know, it’s not the money that’s important.”
“Important to who? Don’t let my father hear that.”
“I just meant that even if you weren’t the richest man I know, I’d still…”
“You’d still what, Clark?”
“I’d still want to be your friend.”
~ * ~
‘How many times
Have you heard someone say
If I had money, I’d do things my way.
But little they know
That it’s so hard to find
One rich man in ten, with a satisfied mind’
-Jeff Buckley ‘Satisfied Mind’
~ * ~
'If bad times paid interest
I'd have you to thank
Yeah, I'd be driving a new car
Have money in the bank
And I'd be the richest man
I'd be the richest man, in the world
-Counting Crows ‘The Richest Man’
According to the National Geographic in Lex’s office, the richest man in the world is the Sultan of Brunei. He’s got so much money that Clark’s brain can’t even compute that many zeroes and has to put a few on the next line.
It’s just beyond Clark’s comprehension.
The richest man in the world has got his own *country*. It should really be called something like Brunei Land.
It’s just mind-boggling, the idea of all that money. Never worrying about tractor repairs and truck parts and where the mortgage money is going to come from. There are some things that Clark just can’t ever conceive of. Having money like that.
Maybe one day, when Lex is the richest man in the world, he’ll live someplace called Lex Country.
Lex could probably have his own country right now though. Lex has everything else that money can buy, why not a country?
Maybe that’s what Lex needs.
As he flips through the pages of the magazine, Clark wonders if the Sultan is happy. If people that rich even think about things like being happy, or if that’s something that you only worry about when you start avoiding your bank manager’s phone calls.
Happiness as something tangible, like money in the bank. Money in your wallet, and a Ferrari or three in the garage.
Of course the Sultan isn’t the richest man in Clark’s little world. Maybe he’s not a very good example.
Clark’s not rich, but he thinks he’s happy. As happy as he knows how to be when his parents are in debt and the girl he adores is in love with someone else. And, okay, so Clark isn’t spoiled, at least not by his parents, but he still has Lex.
Lex makes him happy.
And yet, Lex is the richest man that Clark knows, but he doesn’t seem to be very happy. Maybe when you’re that rich it doesn’t matter. Maybe when you can buy everything you have to find other stuff to keep you happy.
Maybe that’s why Lex likes Clark.
Maybe happiness is just a by-product.
~ * ~
“Planning on saving the rainforests, Clark?”
“Maybe during Spring Break, it’d be cool to get away from Kansas.” From the boy who’s only been to Metropolis twice, three times counting the Zero incident.
“Good idea to plan ahead, it’ll probably take a day or two at least.”
That wry Lex grin that’s nothing like happiness and everything like resignation.
“Lex?”
Silence.
“Are you happy?”
More silence and something fleeting that even Clark can’t catch. “Are we talking rhetorically or literally?”
“Just in general, I think.”
“Well, at this moment in time I’ve got a cost analysis that’s a pain in the ass, so no, I’m not particularly happy.”
“I meant more general than that.”
“I think that’s a pretty broad topic to cover, Clark. Happiness is a pretty subjective thing. Any particular reason you’re asking?”
“I was just curious.”
“You always are.”
“It’s just that you have all this – this stuff, but it doesn’t seem -”
“To make me happy?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Happiness is a by-product, Clark. You get it where you can.”
A by-product. Like something you get at a store. Something you buy. Maybe money isn’t the answer.
Maybe it’s the problem.
“Lex?”
“Yes, Clark?”
“Just so you know, it’s not the money that’s important.”
“Important to who? Don’t let my father hear that.”
“I just meant that even if you weren’t the richest man I know, I’d still…”
“You’d still what, Clark?”
“I’d still want to be your friend.”
~ * ~
‘How many times
Have you heard someone say
If I had money, I’d do things my way.
But little they know
That it’s so hard to find
One rich man in ten, with a satisfied mind’
-Jeff Buckley ‘Satisfied Mind’
no subject
Someone has made me a very happy Ice today... who could that be? Could it be my Troggi?
*resists urge to ROFL*