WILMINGTON – The bellboy followed the middle-aged man up the stairs to his suite.
He knew who this salt-and-pepper haired man was, of course.
Even here in Japan in 1922, news of the man’s academic achievements had preceded his arrival to this relatively isolated island.
Ironic that the work that earned him his upcoming Nobel Prize award would have such an “impact” on Japan some 20 years later, even as the he spoke out against its use.
For now, though, the famous thinker was in the middle of a six-week tour, offering a lecture series to interested citizens of Japan.
This hotel stop was one of many along the way and to the bellboy, despite the man’s fame, this was just another guest worn out from travel.
The bellboy unlocked the door to the guest suite and stepped back to let the man enter.
The man remarked on the beauty of the minimalist simplicity of the room as the bellboy brought in his bags.
The man thanked him and patted his pockets to fish out a tip for his service.
The bellboy watched as the man, frowning, apologized that he didn’t have any change or small bills on him at the time.
Not wanting to embarrass the guest, the bellboy assured him that it was quite alright and began to back out towards the door.
The man held up a hand and told the bellboy to wait, he had an idea.
Grabbing a scrap of paper and a pen, the man scribbled a quick note at the room’s desk and handed it to the bellboy.
“If you are lucky,” the man said, “this note will someday be worth much more than some spare change.”
The bellboy looked down at the note and read:
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the constant pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”
Signed, Albert Einstein
Einstein, of course, was correct in that the note bearing his “Theory of Happiness” would someday become much more valuable than a bit of spare change.
While it took a while, the note eventually sold at auction for $1.5 million in October of 2017.
But then again, time is relative.
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