Rich Men's Folly

It was a seasonal business with summer being busy, and winter not so much.  Life guard service?  No, it was a mobilehome sales and service.  I worked there, making a decent living for about 25 years from 1970 through 1995.  As I had no control over the vagaries of the business, I only have vague knowledge of its ups and downs, but one could get a feeling of the success, or lack of, at any given time by several separate factors.  Whether in a state of euphoria over high sales, or a feeling of gloominess prevailed when times were slower, the company stayed alive.  After I medically retired in 1995 the company managed to remain active without me, and lasted another dozen years or so with little change.

It was a family business started by a middle-aged couple in 1956.  Around 20 years later it was turned over to two sons who kept it thriving.  By the middle of the first decade of this century the sons were of a retirement age and decided to sell the business.  It was sold to another family with much the same history.

During the 1950s this family also started a business of selling used cars.  That business had been built to become the largest new car dealership in the area, and then turned over to 4 sons who kept it thriving for many years.  The 4 sons decided to buy the mobilehome business as an addition to the car dealership.

Within 2 years the mobilehome business was bankrupt.  Now this was a business that had a reputation as a fine place to do business with.  It had sold homes for over 50 years, and was yet going strong.  The new owners had also been associated with a business that had lasted over 50 years.  Why then was it suddenly impossible to keep the doors open?  Obviously people yet needed housing.  New families were still beginning. 

At least part of the answer is the housing market took a terrible downfall all over the United States, causing bank failures to match.  But, why?  What suddenly changed?  Nothing!  The main reason for this almost catastrophic event is due to monetary speculation among rich people wanting to be richer, although having control of scads of money has no real purpose.  It is nothing more than a few people playing with the lives of millions of their fellow space travelers.