In order to tell what I believe, I must briefly sketch something of my personal history.
The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic, and sharing my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession. This was understandable in view of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years at Springhill College in Mobile and, though much beloved and respected in the community, earned barely enough to provide for his large family. My father often said it was only the hardheaded thriftiness of my grandmother that kept the wolf at bay. As a consequence of this example in the family, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a precarious existence with uncertain financial rewards. My parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory of music, and to college I went - quite happily, as I remember, for although I loved my violin and spent most of my spare time practicing, I had many other interests.
Before my graduation form Columbia, the family met with severe financial reverses and I felt it my duty to leave college and take a job. Thus was I launched upon a business career - which I always think of as the wasted years.
Now I do not for a moment mean to disparage business. My whole point I is that it was not for me. I went into it for money, and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. From being merely discontented I became acutely miserable. My one ambition was to save enough to quit and go to Europe to study music. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for "downtown", distracting my poor mother by bolting a hasty breakfast at the last minute. Instead of lunching with my business associates, I would seek out some cheap café, order a meager（贫乏的） meal and scribble my harmony exercises. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, accumulated enough to enable me to go abroad. The family being once more solvent（有偿付能力的）, and my help no longer necessary, I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man released from jail, sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed every minute of it.
"Enjoyed" is too mild a word. I walked on air. I really lived. I was a free man and I was doing what I loved to do and what I was meant to do.
If I had stayed in business, I might be a comparatively wealthy man today, but I do not believe I would have made a success of living. I would have given up all those intangibles, those inner satisfactions, that money can never buy, and that are too often sacrificed when a man's primary goal is financial success.
When I broke away from business, it was against the advice of practically all my friends and family. So conditioned are most of us to the association of success with money that the thought of giving up a good salary for an idea seemed little short of insane. If so, all I can say is "Gee! It's great to be crazy."Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price on it.
相关单词：briefly
briefly解释：adv.简单地，简短地
briefly例句：
I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
相关单词：sketch
sketch解释：n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述
sketch例句：
My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
相关单词：promising
promising解释：adj.有希望的，有前途的
promising例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。
相关单词：disapproved
disapproved解释：v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )
disapproved例句：
My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：thriftiness
thriftiness解释：节俭，节约
thriftiness例句：
Taoism has always advocated thriftiness and plain life. 道教历来倡导节俭、朴素的生活。
That's a positive feeling. Now I added only to my thriftiness but also independence and endurance. 通过这事，我不仅长了点经济头脑，也变得更加独立，更具忍耐力了。
相关单词：precarious
precarious解释：adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的
precarious例句：
Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。
相关单词：conservatory
conservatory解释：n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的
conservatory例句：
At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。
相关单词：disparage
disparage解释：v.贬抑，轻蔑
disparage例句：
Your behaviour will disparage the whole family.你的行为将使全家丢脸。
Never disparage yourself or minimize your strength or power.不要贬低你自己或降低你的力量或能力。
相关单词：miserable
miserable解释：adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
miserable例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
相关单词：meager
meager解释：adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的
meager例句：
He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
The two men and the woman grouped
相关单词：scribble
scribble解释：v.潦草地书写，乱写，滥写；n.潦草的写法，潦草写成的东西，杂文
scribble例句：
She can't write yet,but she loves to scribble with a pencil.她现在还不会写字，但她喜欢用铅笔乱涂。
I can't read this scribble.我看不懂这种潦草的字。
相关单词：solvent
solvent解释：n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的
solvent例句：
Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。
相关单词：gee
gee解释：n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转
gee例句：
Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！
