I thought, how many millions of peo- ple are out there in the real world struggling financially, only because they have never been taught these subjects? Thank goodness they're having fun and are distracted by the desire to win the game, I said to myself. After Robert ended the contest, he allowed us fifteen minutes to discuss and critique CASHFLOW among ourselves. The business owner at my table was not happy. He did not like the game. "I don't need to know this," he said. "I hire accountants, bankers and attorneys to tell me about this stuff." To which Robert replied, "Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of accountants who aren't rich? And bankers, and attorneys, and stockbrokers and real estate brokers. Rich Dad, Poor Dad They know a lot, and for the most part are smart people, but most of them are not rich. Since our schools do not teach people what the rich know, we take advice from these people. But one day, you're driving down the high- way, stuck in traffic, struggling to get to work, -and you look over to your right and you see your accountant stuck in the same traffic jam. You look to your left and you see your banker. That should tell you something." The computer programmer was also unimpressed by the game: "I can buy software to teach me this." The banker, however, was moved. "I studied this in school-the accounting part, that is-but I never knew how to apply it to real life. Now I know. I need to get my- self out of the 'Rat Race.'" But it was my daughter's comments that most touched me. "I had fun learning," she said. "I learned a lot about how money really works and how to invest." Then she added: "Now I know I can choose a profes- sion for the work I want to perform and not because of job security, benefits or how much I get paid. If I learn what this game teaches, I'm free to do and study what my heart wants to study. .. rather than study something because businesses are looking for certain job skills. If I learn this, I won't have to worry about job security and Social Secu- rity the way most of my classmates already do." I was not able to stay and talk with Robert after we had played the game, but we agreed to meet later to further discuss his project. I knew he wanted to use the game to help others become more financially sawy, and I was eager to hear more about his plans. My husband and I set up a dinner meeting with Robert and his wife within the next week. Although it was our first There Is a Need social get-together, we felt as if we had known each other for years. We found out we had a lot in common. We covered the gamut, from sports and plays to restaurants and socioeco- nomic issues. We talked about the changing world. We spent a lot of time discussing how most Americans have lit- tle or nothing saved for retirement, as well as the almost bankrupt state of Social Security and Medicare.