The Farmhand Who Could Sleep Through Anything

[blue_ruin17]

There once was a farmer looking for a your man to help out at the farm. There were several young men who interviewed for the job and as far as the farmer could tell they were about equally well qualified. He then went and asked them each one final question...Tell me, he would say, Why should I hire you above the others?”

Of all of the applicants and their replies, there was one that was really different. One young man said...”because I can sleep through anything.” At first the farmer thought it was just strange, then the more he thought the more he was intrigued and mystified by the response. So he figured, well I will give this young man a chance and he hired him.

Weeks went by and the farmer was pretty happy with the young mans work. He still wondered sometimes what the young man had meant by his strange reply, but he never got around to it. Then one night he was awakened in the middle of night got a phone call from neighbor. There’s a big storm suddenly coming in with lots of wind, maybe a tornado. Better get ready for it,” was the quick message.

Indeed as the farmer went and looked out the door he found that the wind was strong and rising and rain had started. He quickly ran and tried to wake the young man up to start getting everything ready for the blow...but try as he might, the young man couldn’t be stirred. Muttering to himself about what a stupid thing he had done in hiring a lazy boy who wouldn’t wake up when he really needed him...the farmer went out to the farm to prepare the farm for the storm...

He went out to tie down the hay...but discovered that the hay was already tied down securely. Next he went to the barn and the corrals...and every time he looked, everything had already been prepared. After a while of just wandering around the farm, of discovering that there was nothing that needed to be done at the last minute...because it had all been done before, the farmer returned to the house, but instead of muttering, he actually found himself singing the praises of this young man.

He had realized, to his great joy, that the reason that the young man could sleep through anything was because before he went to bed each and every night he had already prepared for the very worst. And so the farmer followed the example of the young man, since everything was already prepared, he undressed and was soon fast asleep, with a huge smile of peace on his face.

[barrett]

Ah, but what was the young man's allocation to 30-year treasuries???

[Cortopassi]

Ah, but what was the young man's allocation to 30-year treasuries???

He's probably been adding to them, for a big comeback...

[blue_ruin17]

Some would say 30 year treasuries ARE the coming storm... but those same people have been predicting that storm for more than a decade now. If you predict that it's going to rain everyday, eventually you'll be correct, but that doesn't mean you were right.

[jhogue]

blue_ruin 17,

You got it right.

I bought 30 year Treasury bonds in December 2013, shortly after going all in on the HBPP.

Ever since, a non-stop chorus of know-it-alls has proclaimed that "interest rates have no where to go but up." (meaning, that LTTs have no place to go but down.)

Last I checked, my initial purchase of LTTs is up over 14%-- and that does not include interest payments.

[Tyler]

Love this story. May have to steal it sometime.

[blue_ruin17]

It says a lot about an asset allocation strategy when it can be described with parables rather than parabolas.

[Xan]

There was another great such parable on here at one point about a farmer with four fields or some such. Can't seem to dig it up.

[Tyler]

There was another great such parable on here at one point about a farmer with four fields or some such. Can't seem to dig it up.

I keep meaning to rewrite it a little but (assuming this is what you're thinking of) here's the original: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5773#p92822

Apparently we need a farmer emoji.

[blue_ruin17]

In keeping with the humble farmer theme:

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.

"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"We'll see," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.

"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"We'll see," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

"We'll see," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

"We'll see" said the farmer.

"Stocks are overvalued!"

We'll see.

"Interest rates can only go up!"

We'll see.

"Gold is going to take a decade to un-wind!"

We'll see,"

"With rates near 0%, cash is trash!"

We'll see

[Xan]

There was another great such parable on here at one point about a farmer with four fields or some such. Can't seem to dig it up.

I keep meaning to rewrite it a little but (assuming this is what you're thinking of) here's the original: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5773#p92822

Apparently we need a farmer emoji.

That's the one! Thanks Tyler.