40 Chances by Howard G Buffett

Author:Howard G Buffett [Buffett, Howard G]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2013-10-22T04:00:00+00:00

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I. CARE does continue to sell commodities in one instance: the government of Bangladesh buys CARE-brokered food aid for a school program because no other local supplier can handle the logistics, and CARE is certain where the food goes.

Story 25

A Six-Beer Insight

I don’t drink alcohol.

When I was a little kid growing up in Omaha, my maternal grandfather, William Oxley Thompson, lived two blocks from us. Beginning when I was five or six, I used to walk to his house from time to time. He would lift me up and sit me on his lap, and talk to me about life and give me advice. One of his warnings was, “Howie, every time you drink alcohol, you kill brain cells.” Then he would pause and add with a smile, “And you don’t have any to waste.” That gives you some idea of his sense of humor. He was a wonderful, fun person, and I always appreciated his advice. I just was never interested in drinking, and I’m sure that has been a good thing. Since most things that I enjoy I tend to do to excess, I’m glad I never developed a taste for or a curiosity about drinking.

Naturally, the rest of the world was not in on my grandfather’s wisdom. In many cultures, drinking is a sign of goodwill, of friendship, of respect. I appreciate the importance of showing respect to local culture and customs. Being invited to have a drink is a gesture that one does not just brush off. In some parts of the world, it is traditional to conduct certain kinds of business over alcohol. I usually find some way to get out of drinking, but it hasn’t always been easy.

In 1991 I visited Moscow in February. Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the USSR and general secretary of the Communist Party, was grappling with factions in his government that wanted to realign Russia’s entire agricultural system. I traveled there as both a farmer and a Nebraska county commissioner, along with former congressman John Cavanaugh of the agricultural consulting firm Summit Ltd.

We had a series of interesting meetings with farmers and local officials several hours outside Moscow, close to the city of Tula. I remember the frustration of farmers I spoke to who were motivated to improve their methods and grow more food but were battling government bureaucrats who were not anxious to give up any power or authority.

It was still the USSR then (although the Soviet system would be disbanded by December), and travel around the country was restricted. As we were leaving Tula, a military vehicle appeared with lights flashing and pulled us over. The military officers ordered us all out of the car. I got a sick feeling that something bad was going to happen. Our driver and guide motioned us to climb out, as military officers jumped out of the truck, huffing and stamping their feet, their breath creating ominous clouds in the cold air. The temperature was probably at least twenty degrees below zero.

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