23. Crystallize thoughts from work.

My daily life revolved around working to the fullest each day, as if my only goal at that time was to work and save money. For some jobs, the employer would choose to pay on a contract basis, for example, income would be based on the number of tasks you completed, regardless of the time you spent working. This meant that within a group of workers, some would earn more than others because they could complete more tasks in the same amount of time. I felt this method seemed fair from the employer’s perspective, but it might seem a bit harsh if a new worker with no experience in that field joined the group. However, this would also be a situation that would make them want to develop themselves to the best of their ability if they wanted higher earnings.

This system made me think of many things I had never realized before. Before I continue, I must preface this by saying that I come from a family where my parents were paid a salary. That is what I am familiar with. I have never had experience in sales. However, with the contract-based payment system I was facing at that time, I felt like I was selling the finished product of my work to my employer. While if the job were paid hourly, it would mean that the employee is directly selling their time and labor to the employer. Of course, in the latter case, for the worker, there may not be much need to pressure themselves because time will still move forward and the results will be achieved according to the passage of time. But if it is contract work or piecework, just sitting around, working casually, and letting time pass will not help improve anything. Therefore, this type of work forces each worker to use their full potential to get as much of the big pie as possible. And this is the production of goods, which is the work itself within a system overseen by the system owner.

The system owner or the garden owner, in addition to paying labor costs for the different seasons when the plants require varying levels of care, also has to pay for fertilizer, water, electricity, accounting staff, taxes, customer acquisition, product promotion, etc. And all of this constitutes the cost of the products he sells. The garden owner doesn't need to work 100% on a time basis; he can choose to do some of the work himself in areas where he excels or hire experts to handle certain matters for him. But ultimately, after deducting all production costs he has to pay, the remaining money is the labor cost, both in terms of physical effort and mental energy, that he invested in the work during that season. And it's perfectly reasonable that the person who takes the most risks and invests the most should receive a reasonable return.

And if I want to be like him, is it possible? As the system administrator responsible for everything happening behind the scenes, and after a day of physically demanding work, how many more years can we endure this? People age, and the body deteriorates, and that's the truth. I have a deep feeling that starting something when you're young might be easier because there aren't as many limitations on physical performance. If someone were to ask me what I want to do for a living right now, deep down I'd say I don't want to do anything at all but still have money to spend. But that might sound too unnatural if it doesn't have a proper origin. But if I really had to do something, I'd want to be a system administrator of something I have control over, the freedom to make decisions, and responsibility for what happens. And if that something requires money for investment, I was currently slowly accumulating that capital.

At times when I felt tired or exhausted while working in the garden, moving my limbs step by step, I imagine that each step I took brings me closer to freedom. And that wouldn't happen if I stopped moving right now. This was how I draw energy when it seems to be depleted.

Toward the end of the pruning season, the homeowners where I was renting wanted to move elsewhere, which meant I had to move out too. Helping them clean the house and move their belongings wasn't easy, but it was a new experience that I could enjoy. I also felt it was a way to repay them for the many meals they cooked for me while I was there.

And at this time, it was the same period when one of my friends was about to return to Thailand. She was trying to sell her car but hadn't been able to do so yet. So, she offered it to me for a thousand dollars. Of course, I was well aware that I already had two cars at that time, but both greed and the desire to help my friend made me agree to this offer. Even though in my heart I wanted to give her a higher price because I knew how much she had to pay for maintenance when she had it, I could only say that if I could eventually resell it for a higher price, I would be happy to give her an additional share. But that was all I could say.

On the other hand, buying it at this price might make it easier to sell, as I might not need to set the selling price too high, which could make it difficult to find a buyer. However, the bottom line was that I currently own three cars.