the only ones on the block who had a wooden ice box and we always had crummy cars. The first nice car we got was the Chevrolet Impala in 1964." Shelly and Peter now drive the Impala. Shelly estimates that her parents' income is now in the neighborhood of $100,000 a year before taxes. Her father, despite his professional skills, pays half his income to government since he will not, as a matter of principle, seek out tax shelters. They live in a large and pleasant house but one less expensive than they could afford. Shelly's family does have a heated swimming pool and has spent great amounts over the years on travel, top quality foods, and other sources of life satisfaction. The parents take the children and their spouses to good restaurants, on excursions to the race tracks, and on vacation trips.

Peter's father stands in unfortunate contrast. Peter was born in a small town in South Dakota in 1949 and his father, like Shelly's, was selling gas. He had a station franchise. While remaining in rural South Dakota over the years, he moved from the station to a securities firm and then moved on to selling a wide variety of products, including slot machines. He dressed well and drove a new Buick or Hudson, since he felt a good car was "necessary in his profession" but he did not achieve any high level of success.

After leaving the securities firm he and the family moved to an 80-acre farm outside a very small town and Peter's mother took a job. Over the years the family has always had a second car, ten or fifteen years old, which she has driven to and from work. Peter and his two brothers always ate well since milk and eggs were cheap and the mother bought a side of beef at a time and kept the cuts in the freezer; but as Peter said, "we never had any money and never went on vacations." Peter went to State University on a football scholarship, but finding the athletic emphasis too strong there he transferred to Villanova in Pennsylvania (also on a scholarship), where he met Shelly.

Peter speaks of his father with a protective caution—he is painfully aware of his lack of achievements but he would like to think that he may yet succeed. "He's really getting into something good," Peter said. "At least it looks good."

Peter and Shelly are children of their time. Though born to clearly different families, in contrasting environments, they have nevertheless arrived at something of a common life view, believing the quest for possessions to be a feckless pursuit.