This is a tale that takes place is Anytown, USA.

You know the characters. Both are always day dreaming about a better life. A life free from work. A life free from debt. A life enjoyed with family.

Both go after their dreams, but in different ways.

Shortly after graduating college, the Workaholic was offered his "dream job." Nine to five with holidays off and two weeks vacation every year. The pay wasn't all that much to start, but there were miles above him on the corporate ladder. All he had to do was climb and a better life waited with each step.

The Loser took a similar job at a different company. The hours were a little different, eight to four. Other than that, you couldn't really tell the difference without reading the company name outside the office.

Day after day, they both climbed the ladder. Then, after a couple years, they both realized they were working 10 hours a day instead of 8.

The Workaholic pressed on. "If I only suck it up a few more years, I'll be at the top with the life I want for my family," said the Workaholic.

The Loser took another approach. He stopped climbing. Instead, he spent his evenings building a home based business.

When the Workaholic saw what the Loser was doing, he scorned him. "Those things never work! You're throwing your money away! You'll never amount to anything!" said the Workaholic.

The Loser was indeed hurt by those comments, but he pressed on. You see, at this point, the Workaholic was making more money than the Loser; but the Workaholic was also spending all his time at work.

A little while later, the Loser and his wife were at a school play. All the parents were there. Well, almost all of them.

The Loser found the Workaholic's wife and daughter. "Where is the Workaholic?" asked the Loser.

"Oh...he had to work...it's okay, I have a video tape for him. He said he thinks he'll be able to watch it sometime next week," said the Workaholic's wife. "How's that home based business thing of yours going?"

"Oh, it's okay. The Workaholic and I make about the same amount of money now."

"That's nice, but it must be hard to lose that money every time you take a week off, right?"

"I don't lose it. I get paid even if I don't work."

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts. My husband is working for a solid income and pension. In the end, those home business things never work, Loser."

The years went by and the differences kept getting larger and larger.

The Loser retired young...very young. In fact, his children were not yet in high school when he retired.

The Loser also had more money coming in than almost everyone in the town. The Loser was able to spend as much time with his family as he wanted, and enjoy life on his own terms.

The Loser was the primary contributor to multiple charities that he supported. Throughout town, he was know and the most generous man to ever live in Anytown.

The Workaholic kept climbing. He missed his children growing up. He wasn't there when they had school performances. He wasn't there when they had birthday parties. He almost missed their graduation.

Every step of the way he was promised a better life, so he kept climbing. Yet, every step made him more a slave to his job.

Even when he was overloaded and spending over 12 hours a day at the office, he couldn't stop. If he did, he'd be fired. Then what would he do?

Sadly, the pension he was promised never came. The economy took a down turn, or so he was told. The few years of financial security he had sacrificed his life for ended up an illusion.

It wouldn't matter much. The Workaholic had pushed himself so hard that he had only a short time left. When he realized his life was ending, all he could think about was how he never really knew his family. He missed all the important events in his children's lives.

Looking out the window he saw what he thought was the Loser in the park. He was old now, but still active. He was spending time with his grandchildren, just as he had invested time in his own children.

The Workaholic turned his had back and finally considered that perhaps the Loser was really not a loser after all.