Whoever Dies with The Most Toys…Is Still Dead
No one has ever seen a U-Haul following a hearse.
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction
“Whoever dies with the most toys wins” (Note 1). I must have been 18 or 19 when I first saw this slogan. A bunch of friends used to drive from our home in Alexandria, VA to Myrtle Beach, SC. As I recollect, the drive was about 8 hours, and what we would do is leave late at night, typically on a Friday or the day before a holiday, around ten or eleven, and drive all night so that we could get there on Saturday morning to maximize our time there. We would camp in tents, as several of us owned them for deer hunting.
I used to go camping when I went deer hunting at the George Washington National Forrest in Virginia (Note 2). It was an excellent place to hunt as it adjoined Shenandoah National Forrest (Note 3), where hunting is prohibited. As you can imagine, the deer know nothing about property lines and would wander from one to the other. Unfortunately, I never did shoot a deer, but I enjoyed the outdoors and the beautiful forest so much that I never really cared. We also used to go hunting at Quantico Marine Base (Note 4), where they have 7600 acres. We used to have to stand in line to hunt at Quantico, as it was first-come, first-served. The other thing is that you could only use shotguns with slugs, as they did not have the long-range capability of high-powered rifles, due to the small size and the number of people around. The Marines still trained every day, and they alternated which areas were open so there was no conflict between the Marines and the hunters. Back to the tent. Later, when I was in the Air Force, I would use the same tent to go hunting on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona (Note 5).
Anyway, back again to Myrtle Beach. Was I mentioned we would camp (who had money for a hotel, anyway?) at Myrtle Beach State Park, directly on the beach, where we could walk to the swimming area. Besides wanting to maximize our time camping and swimming at the beach, it seems to me the camp sites were first-come, first-served, and we wanted to arrive early in the morning to secure a spot as people were checking out. Hence, leaving the night before. That may not be right, but I just don’t remember now.
When we were there, we used to go swimming, of course, and sometimes we would catch crabs from the dock with folding crab traps baited with chicken necks. Later, we’d cook dinner on a Coleman stove and hang around a fire listening to music from Boston, The Beach Boys, and of course, Jimmy Buffett. It was a lot of fun for a bunch of close friends.
Besides a great place to camp on the beach, directly across the street was the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, and the aircraft would take off directly over us. I’m not sure exactly, but I think they had A-7 Corsairs (Note 7) at the time, and they later transitioned to A-10 Thunderbolt II (also called Warthogs, Note 8). Interestingly, a few years later, after I had joined the Air Force and was stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC, 90 miles away, we would go to Myrtle Beach for the day to enjoy the beach. On my motorcycle, two of us. Yes, my Suzuki GS550E. 180 miles in one day on a motorcycle is a lot. Just the wind beating on your body for over 3 hours would fatigue you. I also went to Myrtle Beach AFB on temporary duty (TDY) after one of our RF-4C fighters (Note 9) made an emergency landing, and I was part of the team that traveled there to fix it. The aircraft had an engine problem that required a replacement, and because I was engine-run-qualified, I went to run the engines after the replacement. Replacing an engine on a fighter like the F-4 typically required a special hold-down fixture that allowed us to block the main gears and also hold the aircraft by the arresting hook (tailhook). It was the same with F-15s I later worked on at Luke AFB. I used to run those too. You want to talk about exciting! Because there were A-10 aircraft at Myrtle Beach, and the A-10 did not have a tailhook, there were no special fixtures to restrain the aircraft to prevent it from sliding out of control when we had to run the aircraft in afterburner.
So what we did at Myrtle Beach was take the aircraft to a remote area and engage the afterburner in a very short burst to prevent the aircraft from sliding, and then only one engine at a time to make sure they were performing adequately and there were no fuel or oil leaks. If everything was good, the aircraft were ready to be put back in service and return to base. I remember that we kicked up huge hunks of sod because the engines were so powerful. It was quite a rush.
Myrtle Beach AFB, which was a joint use with the civilian airport, has since closed, as have many military bases in the past 30 years or so.
Well, those were two interesting detours, weren’t they? Back to the slogan. We got a campsite, and next to us were a couple with a beautiful van and a trailer with two motorcycles. In the 1970s, it was popular to airbrush plain cargo vans with beautiful murals. They would also then customize the inside, often with beds that could be used for camping. Maybe other things too, I don’t know…(grin). They were often called “boogie vans” and were another form of self-expression, like every generation seems to have. The vans frequently had TVs, tables, and, of course, big captain’s chairs. They were pretty expensive when fully tricked out. People used to take them to shows, and there was a whole community that just hung out together. Like you see classic car folks do today. Check out the links in Notes 10 and 11 for more.
So I look at this beautiful work of art next to me, and on the side, airbrushed in beautiful letters is the phrase “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” Well, between the beautiful custom van and the trailer with the equally beautiful motorcycles (I’m thinking they were Harley-Davidsons, I don’t quite remember, but that would make sense given the situation), that certainly was a conversation starter. I remember the couple was quite friendly, and we saw and talked to them off and on over the weekend whenever they returned from motorcycle rides.
But that phrase painted on the side has stuck with me for all these years, and I’ve thought about it often, to tell you the truth. It made a lasting impression on me.
Is it true, whoever dies with the most toys wins?
We’ve all probably gone through the consumption and accumulation phases throughout our lives. I have. Sometimes I have to wonder if I place too much emphasis on “things.” I don’t think I do, but I would be lying if I said I didn't like nice things and wonderful experiences. There were even periods in my life when I wanted to keep up with the Jones family. I grew out of that phase as I got older.
Indeed, there are those who measure their success in life by the money and toys they have accumulated throughout their lives. If you clicked on the link in Note 1 earlier, you would have read that Malcolm Forbes had a plaque with this saying in his house. So, he believed it. Many others do as well. Many people hold powerful positions of influence in business, politics, and the world at large. Social media blasts us with constant worship of things and experiences that seem to provoke envy and make us feel like we are failures for not having or doing as much as everyone else.
It’s all a lie
When we are dead and gone, none of the things will have mattered. Don’t believe me? Click on the link in Note 12 to read what one funeral director has to say about the matter. This should move you. If it does not, perhaps you are dead already.
Listen, I’m one of those people who struggle with this, OK? I know what I should be doing, how, and what I should be spending my time and money on. Especially here in America, where so many things surround us, we can get to the point where we believe that is really is the measure of our lives. But as the funeral director witnessed, dead is still dead, and what I want to know is what positive impact did this person make on the world? Whose life, besides his own, was made better?
You probably are not surprised to learn that the Bible has something to say about this subject. “Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21). Later, in Luke 12, Jesus was cautioning us to be on guard against greed. He went on to tell of a rich man who had a harvest so big that his barns could not hold it all. The man reasoned he should build new, larger barns to hold the surplus. That night, God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” Finally, in Jesus speaking …”It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19).
It's often thought (and taught) that money is the root of all evil, but that’s not true. It’s the love of money that’s the root of all evil (Note 13). It’s OK to have money and things, but to be used for the right purposes, for good and not to let it rule your life.
A final thought
In 2025, we must look no further than our cell phones to see the contrasts. The one example that comes immediately to my mind, and one I’ve watched develop over the past six years, is the divorce of Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott. Without getting into the weeds, all we have to do is look at what Ms. Scott has been doing with her half of the $160 billion that was split between them.
As of November 7, 2025, she has donated $19 billion (Note 14), 42% of her wealth. Mr. Bezos had donated $4.1 billion, or 1.6% of his wealth.
Summary
If you are like me, this area of toys and money can be a struggle. There are those who live among us who will not struggle with this issue…likely because they do not and will not have enough to have the options. Sadly, we do see that even those with little often waste it on things that “rust and moths destroy.” You’ve been out in the country and seen small, poorly maintained homes with long grass and a ton of things on the porch and in the yard. You know what I mean.
My thoughts keep going to what we can do, in a country as wealthy as ours, to help reduce poverty and suffering. Yes, many are giving out handouts that provide temporary help. What I’m thinking is how can we better give hand-ups, a hand up the rung of the ladder, a gift that will truly be meaningful?
Throughout the Afterburner Success Partners course and in my book, I speak of my desire to help others achieve their dreams. What I really want is for others to achieve their dreams, and for them to provide hand-ups that help others achieve theirs. Who help others achieve their dreams. Who help others…
That’s all for this week!
Whoever dies with the most toys…is still dead
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
The toys and stuff are fine, if used for the right purpose. I hope you have a lot of toys and stuff, and along the way, you bless others the way you were blessed. I hope that’s where your heart is. Let’s all use our time and money to store up treasures in heaven. How can we give out a hand up today? Who can we give it to?
Call to Action
Take the Afterburner Success Partners course or purchase the book Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi (Note 15). Consider your opportunity to bless others as you have been blessed with the knowledge you gain from it.
Recommended Resources
Check out my recently published book, Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi. Available on Amazon or on my website. See Note 15.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
My Father, Malcolm Forbes: A Never Ending Adventure, forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesdigitalcovers/2019/08/19/my-father-malcolm-forbes-a-never-ending-adventure/
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, USDA: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/gwj
Shenandoah National Forrest, National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm
Quantico US Marine Base Hunting Bulletin:https://quantico.isportsman.net/files/Bulletins%2FHunt%20Bulletin%202024-2025.pdf
Mogollon Rim: https://www.visitarizona.com/places/parks-monuments/mogollon-rim
Myrtle Beach State Park, South Carolina Parks: https://southcarolinaparks.com/myrtle-beach
National Museum of the United States Air Force: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196072/ltv-a-7d-corsair-ii/
AF.mil A-10C Thunderbolt II: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104490/a-10c-thunderbolt-ii/
National Museum of the United States Air Force: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195876/mcdonnell-douglas-rf-4c-phantom-ii/
Raddest Factory Custom and Small Batch Production Vans of the 1970s, Car and Driver: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g14517033/1970s-custom-vans/
Boogie Vans: The History and the Present, classic-american: https://www.classic-american.com/boogie-vans/
Of Grave Concern: He Who Dies with the Most Toys May Win, But He’s Still Dead; So Value the Right Stuff: St. George News: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/opinion/of-grave-concern-he-who-dies-with-the-most-toys-may-win-but-he-s/article_51b79496-e8ad-58e5-8ba3-0ca846a90671.html
Why is the love of money the root of all kinds of evil? gotquestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/love-money-root-evil.html
MacKensie Scott has donated more than $19 billion-but it’s barely made a dent in her net worth because of the power of Amazon shares, Fortune: https://fortune.com/2025/11/07/mackenzie-scott-19-billion-charitable-donations-amazon-shares-net-worth/
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy