Fiscally Irresponsible

a 100-word story

Fiscally irresponsible

Six-year-old Ramona found a quarter on the sidewalk in front of her house. It looked huge in the palm of her hand. She wondered if she could swallow it.

She could.

That night at dinner, she asked, “Mom, what’s the Department of the Treasury?”

Her parents blew it off with a laugh.

The next night, Ramona asked, “Which department of the SEC oversees mutual funds?”

Their eyebrows rose.

Then, “Do you guys own any corporate debt?”

Remarkably, Ramona never had any adverse effects from swallowing that quarter. She did grow up to become Secretary of the Treasury though.

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