This post is written in parable form as part of my explorations of different ways of presenting information about financial freedom. Enjoy.

When he was young,  Zapner used to marvel at the beautiful houses he saw when wandering around the Holland Village area. The colonial style terrace houses along Chip Bee Gardens which was once the favourite abode of expatriates, the well-heeled crowd who shopped at Fitzpatrick’s long before NTUC Fairprice was a household name.

He loved to dream about the animals he would keep as pets. They numbered quite a few and at various times included a cheetah, an eagle, a lion, a dog and hamster. But other than fish, his mother never allowed the keeping of any furry creature as a pet since Zapner was too young to take care of himself properly less so pets.

Zapner always dreamed that when he grew up, he would be able to indulge in computer gaming, earn megabucks and live in a landed property. The five Cs then (cash, credit card, condo, countryclub membership and car) were the oft chanted mantra, allowing him to believe that by studying hard, getting good grades and getting a good job, he would be set for life.

But life is not without its sense of humour, while Zapner did manage to acquire some of the things he set out to, he realised as he grew older that those things that meant a lot to him when young, now meant little as he started to reach the half-way mark in his life.

Will he be able to continue on the next lap in good health and spirits. Would he be able to see his daughter grow up to fulfil her potential and would he continue on his journey on this fragile experience we call “life”?

He starts to question about what does life mean to him?

What were his goals when he was still young and innocent. Were those childhood goals truly his or words of wisdom whispered by knowing parents who wanted the “best” for their children?

Zapner knows not if he will ever achieve his dream of owning and staying in a colonial style bungalow. But he knows that his life has changed ever since he read the book, “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. He starts to question the very assumptions that have led him to where he is today.

Zapner doesn’t have all the answers. Btu what he knows is that life is just starting for him. There is a whole new world of web2.0, social media, unconventional living and daily a**-kicking on different levels beyond earning his livelihood and providing for his family. Those things are important, surely. But beyond that, he knows he is living with a purpose. A purpose to be financially free not because he wants to stay in the dream colonial bungalow, but because he realises he can live an unconventional life and be remarkable instead of being the everyman cut out using standardised templates that is the hallmark of Singapore Inc.

Who is Zapner? What is Zapner?

You have the power to decide.

Be well and prosper.

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