In the last post I discussed how I happened to know about Warren Buffet. Unlike many, my encounter with Buffet was ambiguous. I didn't know what to make out of the sudden splurge of simple but emotionally 'tough to implement' very enriching wisdom. I was elated I got to know about one of the most richest and humble human beings on the planet. I was disappointed to know that he bought his first stock when we was eleven, read every book on finance in the public library by the time he was seventeen, was very clear about his destination and having done everything at such an young age, STILL regret that he didn't start early.
I felt disheartened. I couldn't be young again. The best thing I could do was read about him to the extent possible at the earliest and try to emulate his teaching. I had no other option. I decided I wouldn't be requiring fiction any more and dedicated the next few years to Buffet and his recommendations. Book after book, I read all the books about him, made a mental note of his recommendations and tried to read all he recommended. I got introduced to his boss, teacher and mentor Benjamin Graham, his friend and partner Charlie Munger and few other investing legends. Walter Schloss, Irving Kahn, Howard Marks, John C Bogle, Seth Klarman, Peter lynch, Mohnish Pobrai, Joel Greeblatt and many more. I read almost all the books recommended by Buffet and read everything I could remotely connected to the themes referred by him like the effects of compounding, the need for being patient etc.
My brain started heating up and I got a feeling that it would explode someday. There was so much to read and improve. The feeling never went away. Why didn't I start early? Why didn't some one tell me about Buffet or these legends quite early in my life?
I thought it shouldn't happen to someone young in my vicinity and most importantly my daughter Meadow. With the kind of diseases around, I was also not sure I would be there by the time my daughter would be earning and making a financial impact in her life. I thought I need to let her know and decided to create a platform.
Just after her birth, I started writing personal emails to her. I and my wife created an email id for her and started sharing what we felt and how she happened to change our lives. Most of the intimate moments (how I met her mother, how we got married, the pains her mother faced as a pregnant, sacrifices she had to do, the changes in us) were captured and emailed to her hoping that would raise humane emotions in her and she would appreciate them when she learns about them. But now, as she started approaching two and started talking and playing, the frequency of photo clicks decreased. Though I'm still emailing her some personal content related to the family, majority of the content I want to share tended to be more generic now. So I thought of continuing my blog with a renewed look, morphed more into my learnings, reflections, finances, investments and exploring my own leanings and adventures with Mr Market.
As a teenager, I was touched by the letters Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to the young Indira Gandhi. Glimpses of World History was one of my favorite books as a teenager. I thought of simulating something like that and thought blogging would be ideal. I hope to introduce some books and reputed and inspirational figures to my daughter in an interesting manner (I sincerely pray I succeed) hoping it would benefit her at the right time unlike my own case where I had to start everything after turning thrity (Not that I have given up trying the fruits bestowed by Buffet).
I'm not an investment expert. Not a professional investor. I'm not trained in the field. This is not my domain. I'm just an aspiring investor with a curious business mind. My musings are just a platform to make my child more curious, more knowledgeable, more lovable and more humane. Nothing more. I just want to be a good dad and do not want to leave this place without letting my thoughts known to my daughter. I sincerely thank my wife for doing her part by providing me everything else and making my life easier for me to read and educate myself so that I aspire to become the best teacher to my child.
I dedicate all the future blogs to my daughter MEADOW.
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