I will love to go with I would choose between long life and wealth because if I'm to be tied and thrown into the river, the truth is, I won't survive because I can't swim nor breathe under the water, so I definitely won't get out alive unless I'm rescued immediately. Thanks to the @hivenaija community for this wonderful prompt; it made me think deeply about what I will choose if I'm in a situation where I have to choose between long life and wealth.
I would love to start with a proverb in Yoruba that says "wa pe laye, oju e oni ri bi, Ikan lo ma fo wo mu," which translates to "You will have to choose between long life and facing difficulties," which means either you live long, face difficulties, and come out victorious, or you die young and be free from facing challenges. So if it were to be you, what would you choose? Well, as for me, I would choose long life; anyone who has long life has it all. You might want to ask me how. Being alive is the best assurance that you can be great in life; even if you fall or fail, it is not the end. The best thing to do is to get back on your feet and correct where you have made a mistake.
It is very difficult to accumulate wealth but very easy for wealth to vanish. You might be the world's richest business tycoon or a well-paid celebrity who has everything at his or her beck and call. You might be wealthy enough to flaunt your wealth every day, but what happens to that wealth when disaster strikes? When your health starts to consume your wealth and unforeseen circumstances take away everything you have built for years, the well-known wealthy man or woman will become just a common man or woman, with people saying all sorts of evil things about them.
In the part of the world I belong to, it's very easy for people to turn their backs on you. If you were once a wealthy man or woman and suddenly your status changed from what they used to know, forget it. That's the end for such an individual because they will tag him or her with a bad name, which can lead to depression and, in the long run, death. But if you have a long life, you can work hard to gather and revive yourself once again. With a long life, you can accumulate as much wealth as you want, but with wealth, you can't extend your life span.
While speaking with a friend, @jjmusa2004, about his opinion on this topic, I was surprised at his answer because I was expecting him to choose wealth. After all, he loves money so much, but I guess he understands the advantages of long life over wealth. He made me realize that with long life, you can command wealth through hard work, dedication, discipline, and contentment. Being alive to see the reward of your hard work is the real definition of long life. Having a long life equals having wealth. You might not be the wealthiest man or woman in the world, but living in peace alone is wealth. He said, and I quote, "Wealth is not necessarily a good life; living long is a conglomerate of healthy living and lifestyle, a chance to see different phases of life," which I strongly agree with, and if I'm asked a thousand times, I will choose long life over wealth. Wealth is a luxury while long life is a gift and blessing.
Thanks for your time and your comments will be appreciated.