The Richest Man in Town

by V.J. Smith

I'm so glad I found you.

My friend, Aaron "Marty" Martinson, wrote those words in a note to me. On the pages that follow, you will discover that he didn't find me. I found him. And, thanks to Marty, I remembered a few things about life that I hadn't really thought about for a long time.

For years I had grand visions of writing a book about a leader who changed the course of history. I filled my personal library with biographies of presidents and statesmen. I wanted to understand what made their lives great - and what might be missing from mine.

In looking for answers I turned to books written by people who are successful in business and industry. For a while I searched for excellence, then I compared my habits to those of highly effective people. Like millions of people, I thought success equaled happiness.

The book I've written, though, is about a simple man who ran a cash register. He worked hard and was good to people. That, in turn, made him happy.

Can it be so simple? so free of complications? Marty thought so. He showed me how to be a better person, not one wealthier or more successful or more powerful.

He changed my life - forever.