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So what should we do then? Well, we should go and do the things men do together, of course. But it's still only afternoon, the sun's still too high in the sky. Come on, what difference does that make? These days all you need is a couple of coins and it's night when you want it.
Squatting on a step by the sidewalk, Father and I both raised our cups of Coke, glancing regularly across at each other, maintaining a silent dialogue. I ought to understand what my father needs, I thought. A son shouldn't shirk his filial duties. If, some distant day in the future, I should ever find myself at a loose end and free of the self-importance that comes with age, and run off to visit my son, I'd want him to figure out what was required, to be able to search out a few glimmers of fun for his hardworking father. I wouldn't want to end up with some idiot who only knew how to offer a pious faceful of empty respect. Listen to me, son, wherever you are right now, this thing they call respect is too intangible for me. We've all got things we could learn from money, from the beautiful dollar, from the strong yen, from the even-tempered, good-humored Swiss franc, from their straight-up, honest-to-goodness, absolute value.
-from I Love Dollars