Money at the Dinner Table

Money at the Dinner Table

Same Question Different Answer

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If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?

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✍️Author’s Note

This version treats the prompt with more levity, contrasting European discretion with American openness. It avoids moral heaviness by keeping the tone light, even playful, while still pointing to the same conviction: that true giving doesn’t need fanfare. The humour about “soup with dollars and cents” balances the seriousness of the cause — children’s cancer research — with a smile.

Letter to the Prompt
Simplicity for clarity, cynicism for truth.

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”

— Will Rogers

Dear prompt,

Ah, money — the one topic my parents would never allow at the dinner table. Our American friends, however, never minded seasoning their soup with dollars and cents. Different etiquette, different world.

So, what would I do with a million to give away? I’d skip the flashing cameras and golden plaques. No champagne galas, no photo ops with oversized checks. My father’s advice was simple: be a steward, not a show-off.

And if you’ve ever visited a children’s cancer hospital, the choice becomes obvious. Research and treatment there don’t need applause — just resources. That’s where the money would go. Quietly. No ribbon-cutting required.

William J J Houtzager, Aka WJJH. January, 2026

📌Blog Excerpt

🍽️ Money at the Dinner Table — A witty letter to the prompt on money, manners, and charity. From soup seasoned with dollars to the quiet choice of funding children’s cancer research.