Money can be the greatest leveler. Even Communists, the champion hypocrites they are and who are known to protray frugality, have immense love for money.
Few years ago I volunteered to file Income Tax Returns for the lower income group organized by VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) of Goodwill, a local Charity Organization with tie up with IRS (Internal Revenue Services). It gave me immense pleasure of working for the community and the accompanied opportunity to interact with folks from different walks of life, not to mention the immense satisfaction from serving the Community.
During my chitchat with the Tax filers I often stumbled upon some interesting anecdotes. From the saga of a 95 year old lady, who as a teenager drove a Ford in the 1930s (then 90% of the American households had access to car) and how she flirted with her beau on telephone, a fancy gadget and the new kid in block (Americans then had 4 times more phones per person than the British, 6 times more than the Germans), to the story of an 18 year old kid, a first time tax file accompanied by his mother who never returned to her Indian husband after moving to the United States and settling down for good.
But nothing trumps this encounter. Money certainly can be a great leveler, the proof of which I saw in my own eyes. Like every tax season, one fine spring morning I was doing my Volunteer Tax Preparation for the low income people. A couple who were filing jointly, were seating across me as usual, while I prepared their taxes. As I was busy going through their documents, entering them on the IRS Website on the computer and asking them tax related question, I was frequently interrupted as the couple were busy bickering among themselves on some trivial matter.
Their verbal cat fight, a ritual amongst all married couples, was reaching its zenith. Nothing unusual, as every couple fight. The only exceptions probably could be Mrinalini Devi and her spiritual husband Sri Aurobindo of Aurville fame or Sri Ramakrishna Paramhans and his wife Sarada Devi. Otherwise those couples who say they never fight are certainly lying. Anyway, tax preparation needs utmost attention with zero scope for errors, so the couple's rambling was an irritating drag on my work.
My cup of patience was full. I was about to mildly reprimand them when all of a sudden their Refund Amount popped up on the screen. They were getting about $3,600 back which was a hefty sum proportionate to their income. I interrupted their bickering, announcing the Refund amount which is going to land up in their Bank Account in 2-3 weeks after I e-file their return. Their face suddenly glowed, words turned sweeter. The husband now started calling his wife Sweetie. The wife reciprocated with calling her hubby Honey. They high-fived and praised Good Lord for being graceful to them that morning. (Little they understood that it's their own money they are getting back from IRS who holds on to it for more than a year with 0% interest. But it's in human nature to get elated at the news of sudden, unexpected arrival of money).
The animosity that existed between the squabbling couple a few moments ago was long gone. With a smiling face they warmly shook my hands and bid adieu. It was a heroic gesture to someone who had done nothing but was the bearer of the news of their tax return which they were entitled to anyway. I enjoyed my 2 minutes of fame, thanks to money which can certainly be a great leveler. Their reaction made me remember the good Ole rhyme :
"Money money money.
Brighter than sunshine,
Sweeter than Honey".
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