Early in their marriage, Matt and Rebekah decided to plan ahead for their retirement and make sure they had ample money to live on. By necessity, they lived in the city to be close to their workplaces, but they couldn’t imagine retiring here. They wanted to live and enjoy life somewhere much more scenic and both relaxing and invigorating.

Over the next year, they researched many places and found one several hundred miles away that seemed like an optimal place to spend their golden years. They found a reputable financial institution in that location and began placing some of their income each month in a retirement account there.

Penelope and Janice attended high school together and were both what everyone considered good students and good kids. Both listened in class, studied hard, passed their exams, and completed their projects with high marks. However, one of them flourished and developed more than the other.

Penelope focused on her schoolwork and on staying out of trouble. Her aim for good grades crowded out other activities. As a result, she didn’t know other students well, and all anyone really knew about her is that she was at the top of her class and always had the right answers. No one tried to tempt her to engage in delinquent behavior because they always figured she was too busy studying. Years after graduation, not many people remembered Penelope’s name, but they remembered she was smart and always stayed on the teachers’ good side.

A certain family enjoyed having a well-lit home. Large windows on the east and south sides allowed illumination of the common living areas for much of the day. Many lights were fixed to the ceilings, all switched on at sundown to eliminate shadows. Inner rooms also featured several lights apiece, such as a row of light bulbs over each bathroom mirror. Even when melancholy winter skies dimmed the daylight hours, the family kept a cheery atmosphere within.

Grant went into his yard on a Saturday, work gloves and lever in hand, to start changing the landscaping around his house. He had several small, gray boulders two to three feet across that he wanted to move to a different location. He tugged on the gloves, set one end of the lever into the ground against a rock, and pried at it.

After some pushing and pulling on the lever, Grant had the first rock loosened from the dirt around it. He jabbed the lever underneath, set his feet, and pulled at the rock. It tipped slightly but didn’t roll over like he wanted. Grant heaved and yanked at it and succeeded only in budging it another inch and breaking a sweat.