Monday 22 August 2016

ABC Wednesday, G, for Greed and Gluttony




                                         Gluttony




Greed and Gluttony.
When a friend of mine became a widow more than a decade ago, she was really devastated. Not only had she lost her partner and best friend, her mate to whom she had been married for 36 years, but she had to handle financial situations, such as making her tax declaration, managing bank accounts, and selling all her husband's shares, for she didn't want to lose money on shares. She didn't know anything about them. Then a friend of hers asked her, if her son-in law was allowed to do her bookkeeping, because her daughter and son-in-law were in rather needy circumstances. The widow was delighted! Of course! Now she got the help and advice she needed of somebody she knew well. The bookkeeper and his wife were friends of the widow. He helped her repair things in her house, all kind of things her husband and children used to do. After some time the bookkeeper asked something in return. Would she be so kind as to lend him some money? He wanted to buy a property for his wife in order to insure her of a regular income, when he had died. He was more than 20 years older than she was and not in good health. Of course the widow lent him a large amount of money. And the grateful bookkeeper did more odd jobs in the house. Later on he asked for another loan. In the beginning he paid the interest and repayment of the two mortgages, but after a while he stopped paying the repayment of one of the mortgages. He now was in full control of her bank account. She didn't know how much she owned as the bank didn't send bank statements any more, for he did internet banking. He promised her to copy the statements, and so he did twice. He remained kind and helpful and the widow trusted the bookkeeper without any doubt. Years later it was found out that he had embezzled a very large amount of money for his own good. This was a real eye opener. And the widow found herself a good lawyer and summoned the bookkeeper to appear in court.
Greed is an excessive desire to possess wealth or goods with the intention to keep it for one's self. Greed - like lust and gluttony - is a sin of excess. Greed is inappropriate expectation. However, greed is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power.

As a secular psychological concept, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.

Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of waste. In some Christian denominations, it is considered one of the seven deadly sins—a misplaced desire of food or its withholding from the needy.


With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 9 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with G.

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

18 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Deadly sins both. That poor woman; I hope the court was able to get some of her funds back. It does remind us all of how important it is for both partners in a marriage to be knowledgeable of financial and all aspects of their life.

Penelope Postcards said...

A cautionary scary tale of what happens to many elders … even by their own families. Thank you for sharing this worthwhile warning. You described so perfectly how trust builds slowly and then greed sets in. Oddly enough, sometimes the perpetrators convince themselves they are deserving of such thievery. :(

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful header photo and excellent post for G ~

Wishing you a lovely week ~ ^_^

Rajesh said...

Very true. They are one of the deadliest sins.

MelodyK said...

Alhoewel ik helaas ook weet hoe het voelt om degene te zijn van wie zo schandelijk word geprofiteerd ben ik er trots op dat de beide eigenschappen die jij benoemt niet op mij van toepassing zijn, GodZijDank niet, ik zou me rot schamen als dat wel zo was.

En ja je verhaal vertelt een bekend gegeven waar wij mensen vaak niet aan willen, mensen zijn minder betrouwbaar dan wij graag zouden willen.

photowannabe said...

I see that very thing happening as my younger son is going through a very messy divorce. Greed can rear it's ugly head.

Trubes said...

A good analogy of both greed and gluttony,
i know somebody that fits into both categories...When he sits down
to eat he grabs as much food as he can from the serving dishes on
the table then gobbles it all down greedily then takes more without
seeing that the rest of his guests have had sufficient.
Over the years he systematically persuaded older widowed ladies in
the family to let him look after their affairs and managed to take
a large wedge for himself!
He questions why I won't speak to him.
He goes to church, clutching his bible,
every Sunday.


I wonder if hypocrisy is as evil as greed and gluttony ?

Now he wonders now why I won't have anything to
do with him...I'm ashamed to say dear Wil, this is my only Brother.

Hope you are keeping well and the weather is being kind to you.
best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.

Roger Owen Green said...

Now THAT'S a cautionary tale!

ROG, ABCW

Ann said...

It's surprising how many people are controlled by greed, if they can't have it sometimes they just take it. So glad she took him to court.
Ann

Anonymous said...

What a sad story! Because of his greed the widow now lost friends and a bookkeeper.

Photo Cache said...

Many senior citizens are sadly victims of greedy people. Sad.

My ABC WEDNESDAY

Nonnie said...

This is such a sad testament to people who want things without having to work for them. Sadder is this tale about a person considered to be a friend. Thankfully when I was newly widowed, my middle son helped me to sift through all the finances and other paper work with which I needed to tend.

Hildred said...

Oh Wil, two very deadly sins. I prefer to think of Gratitude.

Shady Gardener said...

Am I getting skeptical in my old age??? I was anticipating this terrible situation as I read (and so hoping I would be wrong!). Gratitude and Graciousness... much better friendships.

Shooting Parrots said...

A cautionary tale that shows that anyone can be tempted by greed.

Kay L. Davies said...

I have heard of such gluttonous bookkeepers and financial advisors and others in "the money industry" more often than I can remember.
I have become quite muddleheaded in the past few years. I can't remember many things, and I certainly am in no position to handle my finances should I be widowed. Fortunately, Dick and I have appointed two executors in our wills, and one of them is my much-loved young brother, whom I trust implicitly.
However, I have finally returned to blogging. Somewhat irregularly, but it's a start.
We think of you often, and very fondly,
K

Gattina said...

That's the trouble with housewives, they don't know anything about payments and Banks etc because the husband did all that. It couldn't happen to me, because in my personal case it is the opposite, lol !

Vagabonde said...

En français le mot greed est « avide. » Malheureusement il ya beaucoup de gens avides aux E-U, surtout dans le gouvernement. Par exemple les lobbyistes pharmaceutiques. Cette semaine on parle beaucoup d’une société qui vendait un médicament pour les enfants allergiques qui ne coute qu’un dollars à produire, qui se vendait à $100 et maintenant à $600 – la CEO est très avide, c’est sûr.