The Ultimate Life Page #2

This man, Andrew Carnegie,

had started out working in

a telegraph office at 12.

He didn't even go to school, just read

books whenever he could, just like me.

I bet he had to put up

with all those rich kids

turning up their noses at him, too.

And he ended up a billionaire anyway.

I swear to heaven, and to every one

of those snobs who look down on me,

so will I.

Soup's getting cold.

It would be nice to have

something else for a change.

There, now you got something else.

- She sounds bad again, Pop.

- I know.

- She needs her medicine.

- What am I gonna do, huh?

I can't afford it right now.

Hospital's still after me

for last time she was there.

Well, someday I'm gonna buy

that whole darn hospital,

and they'll wish they treated

her better, I swear to heaven.

What are you babbling about?

I'm gonna be a billionaire,

like this man, Andrew Carnegie.

Get it in your head, son.

You ain't ever gonna be rich.

Only thing you're ever gonna be able to

count on is coming up on the short end.

That's what was handed me

by my daddy, and I'm sorry,

but that's all you're

ever gonna get from me.

- What is it?

- Just going to work.

On, baby.

I'm sorry you have to work so hard.

- It's not fair.

- It's OK.

No, it's not.

I'll be up out of this bed soon...

...and then you can quit that job,

and we'll get you

enrolled back in school.

I love you, Mama.

I love you, too, son.

Get some rest, OK?

Get some rest.

September 4th, 1941.

I'm leaving home today.

I don't know for how long, but

it's one less mouth to feed,

and maybe Mama can get her medicine now.

No matter what Daddy says, I don't

accept being poor as my destiny.

I know my fortune's out there somewhere.

And the next time he sees

me, I'll be a rich man.

You can't make your move until

the train leaves the yard.

Wait, wait.

Go on, scram!

Get him!

Let's go. Let's go!

Come on! Come on!

Come on!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Give me your hand! Jump!

Jump!

- What are you doing?

- I'm, uh... making my golden list.

- Your what?

- My golden list.

Something my ma taught me.

Every day, rain or shine,

I make a list of ten things

that I'm grateful to God for.

Things you're grateful

for? You're kidding, right?

I've got lots of things

to be grateful for.

Everybody got at least ten

things to be grateful for.

- I got nothing.

- You sure about that?

- Sure as I could be.

- You got your health, right?

- I'll be grateful someday.

- No, no. You gotta be grateful now.

You gotta be grateful for

the little things in life.

Otherwise, you'll never

be grateful for nothing.

You know what? Come on! We gotta get

off the train before we hit the yard.

Now you really got something to

be grateful for. We're in Texas!

Wait!

Whoa!

- Morning, fellas. Morning.

Name's Jacob Early.

I'm looking for six strong backs

to put up some cattle fence.

Pick me! Pick me!

Right here!

Mustache. Older guy.

- Out of the way, Slick!

- I don't think so!

Mister! Hey, I'm your man! I can carry

50 pounds of ice up three stories!

What the heck, kid?!

That's all right, young

man. That's all right.

I enjoy an eager beaver. Come on.

Well, you've obviously put up

a few posts. You too, climb in.

Young and strong.

That's six. Let's go, fellas.

Howdy.

That's a good-looking

post there, Slick.

Thanks.

Think it'll hold up to 2,000

pounds of heifer leaning against it?

It'll hold.

Maybe Mr. Early can have you

build him a rabbit fence next.

Got another one for you.

You best water up, Slick. The sun will

lay you out flat if you're not careful.

Don't worry, I didn't spit in it.

I wasn't worried, but I am now.

You can trust me.

That's good work.

Another week, you might

catch up with the rest of us.

Just yanking your chain, Slick.

By the way, name's not

Slick. It's Red. Red Stevens.

Gus Caldwell. Girls call me Stud.

I'm gonna stick with Gus.

You seem to know your

way around a ranch.

Boy, howdy, my whole life.

- Till two year ago.

- What happened?

Stinking Depression.

Bank foreclosed on us.

Now my daddy's stuck working other

men's ranches, trying to make ends meet.

Me, too.

Had to quit school, but

least I'm doing something.

My daddy shovels coal back in

Baton Rouge, when there's work,

so I know what it means

to be on the short end.

Someday, I'm gonna have me my own ranch,

and it'll be bigger than this one.

Then I'm gonna take over the bank.

Yeah?

Well, whatever I do, it's gonna be big,

'cause I ain't stopping

till I'm a billionaire.

That's a big number.

Better plan on a different

career than ranching then.

You oughta head out to California.

They got plenty of jobs out there.

Hey! Maybe you can get into the movies.

I hear The Three Stooges

are looking for a fourth one.

Ante up, gents.

Five-card stud. Like me.

You better give me something

I can work with this time, kid,

or I'll run your hind parts

back to nursery school.

September 6th, 1941.

Working for my supper and

few bucks is just surviving.

I don't want to end up like

the fat man or the old guy,

digging holes when I'm their age.

They should be raking in the

money as their own bosses by now.

He's got what?

Well, so quick to the punch.

Come on, Red, where you going?

There's too many old guys at this table.

Hey, Red.

- What can I do for you?

- Mr. Early...

- I'd like to know how I can be you.

- Be me?

I want to know everything I

can about how to be successful.

Just like you are. I want... I

wanna know how to get what you have.

Have a seat.

Success.

Hm...

Well...

Success takes a lot of things, son.

A lot of things working together.

I guess you don't want be a sheep.

You want to be the bellwether.

The bellwether?

The leader, son.

A leader of men.

To make things successful for yourself.

If I get that fence finished a day

early, does that save you any money?

Sure. On feed. Yeah, you bet.

You split those savings with me, I'll

have that fence finished by tomorrow.

I do like you, son. But

it ain't gonna happen.

We'll see.

Hm...

Where's Red? His bed's made.

That little son of a gun!

Better not have quit on us.

We've only got two days

left to finish that fence.

What the heck, Red?

You've pushed this fence down

a hundred yards since yesterday.

- When did you come out here?

- 3:
00.

- Three-what? -

Three in the morning.

Why? Why not?

Sooner we get this fence

done, sooner we get paid.

Yeah, but why would we want

to cut off another day of work?

Boss ain't paying us by the day.

He's paying us by the finished fence.

Now, I figure if we work

in two groups of three,

we can move even faster.

One man measures and digs,

the next man places the

post, the third buries it,

they place the wire, and they move to

the next hole that's already been dug.

Like an assembly line.

All right? Let's go!

Big guy, here you are.

Thank you very much.

There you go. Thank you very much.

There you are. Thank you very much.

Oh, yeah.

And a little extra here.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes