Elias Mercer’s Responsible Life

Meet Elias Mercer. Elias was the definition of a responsible man. From the time he

was young, he absorbed the same lessons most of us were taught—lessons passed down like

sacred laws. Save for a rainy day. Avoid unnecessary spending.

Compound interest is magic. Security matters more than pleasure. Sacrifice now so

you can live later. Elias listened. He didn’t rebel against the system. He didn’t question

it. He trusted it. He studied hard, earned his degree, and became a structural

engineer. A stable career. Respectable. Predictable. Exactly what he

was supposed to do. For forty-five years, Elias showed up to work on time,