First million is the toughest

Professor Ambrose Penwose, Kiwi

Two gentlemen were sitting in a tavern talking things over. I overheard them but will never testify to that.
One was saying, “The first million is the toughest.”

He did not specify pounds or dollars, so I had no way of knowing the true value of the comment without inquiring and I was not going to stoop so low as a common overhearer.
I concluded either/or was quite sufficient and beyond me.
“Well, I can certainly verify that!” I shouted aloud to no one in particular.

Later, that very night it was, the other gentleman remarked, “The first eighty years in life are the toughest.”
I knew not the metric equivalent in that case, so I’m supposing he meant Earth years, although he may have meant “Dog Years?”

I scribbled something on a piece of paper and took it to him, saying it was a coupon for a free can of dog food, “You do have a dog, don’t you, Sir?”

“Why No, I’m afraid not!”

“Than you certainly have no need of the coupon.” I said as I stashed it in my vest pocket.

“I have a dog,” said the other fellow.

“That’s nice. Feed it,” said I as I walked away.

“I later tried to use the note myself but they said it was not an official document, “They do not scribble coupons on parchment!”

Nevertheless, I found out that which I was seeking for. The gentleman had no dog, so the chances of him speaking in dog years was minimal as is the case with dogless individuals.
Therefore the years spoken were Earth years.

So here we stood with the first million pounds or dollars being the toughest, with the first eighty years being as well. I should think that as I turned that age with the appropriate guineas, everything should be downhill from there.
I was relieved that 2000 British pounds did not equal a ton of money.

We’ll see what happens when it happens?

Penwose Out,
By George
NoPo8