A Difficult Period in My Life

My father died. I'm in mourning. A few days will pass until my next entry.

Cultural Nuances

    It might seem odd, posing an investment portfolio manager within a cornfield. Professionals like him usually reside in urban or suburban areas. This man is cut from a different cloth. He prefers a rural lifestyle. His home is the state of Vermont.
    One of my best friends also lives in Vermont. He moved there after loosing a job near Boston, Massachusetts.
    He says there’s two types of people in Vermont. There’s New Yorkers who own second homes. Those people are wealthy. And there’s country folk of limited means. Many of those country folk earn their livings by performing maintenance jobs for the New Yorkers.
     My friend doesn’t fit in as a resident of Vermont. He’s not rich like the New Yorkers. And his outlook towards life is more cosmopolitan than the rural people. When he retires, my friend will return to Massachusetts.
    And now for my take on Vermont: My sense is that people there aren’t all that friendly. This don’t mean that Vermonters are hostile. They're just not as outgoing as people elsewhere in the nation. There’s an insularity to people in Vermont.
    Across the Connecticut River from Vermont is New Hampshire. That state also has large swaths of rural area. Those people are friendlier. I relate to strangers in New Hampshire better than strangers in Vermont.
    I made a similar differentiation while in Africa. The people I met in Zimbabwe were friendly and easy going. That attitude is common among the Shona Tribe. Then I crossed the Limpopo River to South Africa. No more Shona tribesman. People in South Africa seemed aggressive and less friendly.
    It’s been said that people everywhere are basically the same. In many ways they are. But there are noticeable differences.
    Some places are friendlier than others.

Seeking Inspiration

    The function room was a mess. Books and boxes lay all over the place. Volunteers, including myself, were setting up for the annual book sale at our town’s library. Second hand books had been donated by citizens.
    My eyes settled on the novel, East of Eden. Right away I purchased it. That work of literature, which I had read years ago, profoundly affected me.
    Most things in this world don’t have a far reaching affect on me. But now and then a book touches my soul. Other people—those who possess admirable characters—occasionally leave a mark on me. Sometimes they’re famous. Most of the time they’re not.
    Many people seek inspiration but few people inspire.

Resisting Greed

 Law firm solicitation (names and numbers etched out)

    Several weeks ago, a drunk driver crashed into my car. I was not injured. Insurance paid for the damages. The driver reimbursed me for nominal out of pocket expenses.
    And he apologized. As far as I was concerned, the matter was over and done with.
    Or so I thought.
    A few days ago, a law firm telephoned me. They wanted me to file a lawsuit against the driver. Another firm sent me a letter of solicitation (seen in the photo). One sentence included the words, ‘you may be entitled to recover money.’
   I won’t take the bait. To sue that driver for no other reason than money would represent greed.
   Greed is a sickness of one’s soul.

Versatile Happiness

    While attending school, this young woman participated in three sports. Her versatility used to be the norm for young athletes. Things have changed. Many youth now specialize in one sport. 
    Studies have shown that multi-sport athletes are happier. Single sports kids aren’t as happy; they’re under more pressure to excel.
    What about adults? Many of them possess one specialized skill. It’s usually related to their employment. Are these people less happy?
    I’ll bet people with multiple skills are happier than people with one skill. And it’s not just about work. For example, I know some women who knit for charity. Knitting is an additional skill. Those ladies seem happy with their lots in life. People with hobbies—and hobbies involve skills—also strike me as happy.
    Learning new skills, even if they’re unrelated to work, might improve our happiness.