We are just a group of retired spooks that discuss things that you’ll not find anywhere else. It makes us unique. Take a look around. Learn a thing or two.
Today, this post will be one of my you-tube videos. I believe that it is critically important that everyone understand and appreciate what a Rufus is, and how it manifests. While I talk a lot about it, it means much more than heroic action. It means compassion and understanding, and to stand up for the little guy.
Many of the snippets are in Chinese, and the dialog is in Chinese, but you can guess what is going on and infer the dialog.
One is a daughter …
One is an employee…
One is a relative…
The dialog can get confusing in the translation. Translation is from the Wechat scan function, switched to translate into English.
A Rufus builds people up. They don’t tear them down.
A Rufus stands by the downtrodden and supports them.
A Rufus accepts people as they are.
The roles are not important.
What is important is whether these people are making the world a better place, or are they being selfish, demanding, uncaring and obstinate.
Watch for yourself.
Then, pay attention to the reactions of the innocent bystanders who overhear the discussion. Watch them leap into action as only a real Rufus would…
Here’s some notes that I collected over the years, and pulled together for myself. It’s just some thoughts, and some guidelines that I collected in a file that I promised myself that I would get to “one of these days”. On Saturday, I was going though a dusty old hard drive and found this collection. And so, I decided to “put it up there” for everyone to read and (perhaps) to scoff at. (Hopefully not.)
Now, I have gone in and out of fashions and styles all my life. There were times when I was truly fashionable. Such as the bell-bottom, long-haired 1970’s, and the cargo pants and layered pastel polo 1980’s. This evolved over time into the early 1990’s when I was wearing pencil thin neck-ties, double breasted suits and mullets. And so on and so forth.
But something happened to me.
Maybe it was prison.
Maybe it was no longer working in a corporate environment.
Maybe it was China.
Or maybe it was when my facial hair started to turn grey.
There comes a time, in every man’s life, where you take a step back and say, “well, I just want to wear clothes that are comfortable, and where I look good in them”. And that is what caused me to generate this collection of guidelines.
Don’t you know…
Introduction
There’s a joke that “we spend all our lives trying to look older, right up until we spend all our lives trying to look younger.”
Terrible idea, really.
The perfect age to be is always the one you are.
Although you all have to admit that being of legal age to do everything is always an improvement.
When you start seeing your hair turn grey (or white) is when a man should fully come into his own. You’re a gentleman with a firm idea of himself and his place in the world, and your wardrobe should reflect that.
Casual Attire
Your business wardrobe is your business wardrobe. Sigh. It’s dictated by the necessity of your profession. Whether you wear a uniform, or meet the company “dress code”. Do it well — but do your “casual” wardrobe better.
Your casual clothes are, quite simply, what you wear for yourself. It’s the most obvious outward expression of your taste, your attitude, and your place in life.
Don’t go on confusing “casual” with “sloppy”.
Big mistake.
Just because you’re not at the office is no reason to look like you don’t care. Your clothes should still look like a deliberate choice and a conscious statement — a powerful one, too, at this age.
Here are some things an older man wants to keep in mind when choosing his casual wardrobe:
[1] Fit
Wear ONLY clothes that fit you well.
Do not wear clothes that don’t fit.
Do not wear clothes that are too tight. Or clothes that are too big. You wear clothes that fit you well. I know that you all probably have nice clothes that cost some money, but you never wear because they don’t fit you well. But you keep them anyways.
Throw them out or give them away.
By this decade of your life, you should have a very good sense of your body.
[2] Tailoring clothes to fit you well
I go on the internet, and especially on English websites, they talk about having a tailor make some perfectly fitting clothes for you. How wonderful! But let’s face it, most men don’t have a few thousand dollars to dedicate to this. And having clothes that fit is not on the main list.
Instead, it is on a secondary list that includes chores, repairs, and special purchases for the family. And at that, unless you are single, it’s at the bottom of that list.
But think a minute.
If you had no other issues; no other attachments, wouldn’t clothing rank as your top priority after food? (Fine, delicious food, by the way.)
The guy (or gal) you go to doesn’t have to be someone who actually creates tailor-made clothing, though they’re often the best. There are perfectly good tailors at basic clothing repair shops and even some dry cleaners that can do adjustments. The point is that you should be getting those adjustments done.
They don’t cost a lot of money.
In the days when I worked for a massive automotive electronics company, our dress code was a white shirt and a red tie. But I made sure that I would buy off-the-shelf high quality shirts, and then spend a few dollars having each one tailored to fit me exactly. It did make a difference on how I looked and felt about myself.
Get everything trimmed to fit you.
Shirts, and trousers are mandatory. Suits and jackets go without saying. About the only thing you should be leaving unadjusted at this age are your socks, underwear, and gym/chore clothing. Everything else gets a tailored fit.
Oh, and don’t be afraid to toss old underwear, too. And, ladies… this includes old bras. Toss those fancy wire things that you love that never wear, and those bras that are old, and frayed. Go get yourself a nice VERY WELL fitting bra. Make sure that you have the right cup size, and the right under boob width. Wearing a comfortable bra makes all the difference in the world.
Or, so I am told.
This has a twofold benefit: it makes your body look better, flattering the best parts of your figure, and it also makes you more comfortable.
A big part of looking good when you get old is looking relaxed and at ease with yourself — hard to pull off when you’re constantly re-tucking your shirt or tugging the crotch of your pants into place. (It’s a guy thing, don’t you know.)
[3] Comfort
I wear black tee-shirts all the time.
But that’s just me. When they get old I toss them and get a newer one. These are plain black shirts that fit me well, and that either have a small logo on my left chest, or an embroidered pattern. I rarely wear large garish patterns, or designs.
Again, that is just me.
And remember that I live in the tropics. Zhuhai temperatures are much like Singapore. We have two seasons. Warm, and very Hot and very humid.
On that note, an older man really should look comfortable, and even relaxed, at nearly all times. Leave the hard-edged, high-strung look to the younger guys.
A lot of looking comfortable in your clothes comes down to actually being comfortable in your clothes, but you can do a lot with tailoring and styling too.
For those of you who still wear suits, and even I do from time to time, this is a good time of life to be moving away from aggressively fitted “power suits” and sharp-edged European cuts. The American, slightly looser suit was made with the middle-aged man in mind — give it a try.
For less dressy styles, try relaxed looks like sweaters and knitted tee-shirts, or other more relaxed shirts. You just need to move away from the business-standard dress shirt and its turn-down collar (and tie) ensemble. (Burrr.) Handsome, well-fitted clothing that’s obviously made for leisure tells people that you’re prioritizing your own pleasures.
A man who is comfortable, will look comfortable.
A man who is happy, and confident, will look happy and confident.
The key here is to have stylish comfortable options. Yeah, stretch-waist sweatpants are comfortable, but there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing. Buy clothes that fit your personality; grown-up clothes, just buy them in soft fabrics, relaxed cuts, and a nice casual variety of colors.
[4] Luxury
Not to be confused with comfort, though it often provides it, luxury in clothing is the province of the older gentleman.
This mostly comes about as increased discretionary income intersects with a life’s worth of dressing experience. Even if you never got that serious about your wardrobe, decades of putting fabric on your body gives you some idea of what feels good and what feels cheap. And of course you know this. Don’t you?
Rich wools, soft cottons, light linens — live ’em all up.
The texture and “drape” of a good fabric are more noticeable, even at a distance, than we often think.
It’s the reason a bunch of men in $99 blazers from the sale rack at Men’s Wearhouse all look vaguely insubstantial — and the reason a man in the middle of them wearing a $599 blazer made from top-notch worsted wool stands out like a lighthouse.
Buy less frequently than you did when you were younger, but more expensively.
Decades of accumulation should have your wardrobe in decent shape for the staples. That frees up your clothing budget to add a couple reallynice things for yourself.
Whatever you like to wear most, buy it in the best quality you can get…
…Then wear the hell out of it.
[5] Some “Looks”
When you were younger, your style perhaps could have been summed up in one or two words: “urban cowboy,” “power exec,” “thrift-store hipster,” whatever.
By now you should be past that.
Your clothing should just be you, defying categories. It should look like what you wanted to wear, not like what a “style blog” told you to wear.
Maybe the most important thing at this age is for everything to look like an outfit, rather than a collection of unrelated clothes all thrown on together.
You should put some time and care into selecting not just the big pieces (trousers, shirt, jacket), but the accents as well (everything from the necktie and shoes to things like scarves, watches, hats, pocket squares; even your eyeglasses if you wear them).
For me, I tend to wear (and keep in mind that I am in the topics), a nice well fitting black tee-shirt, and long well made (hiking) trousers. I wear with a special kind of canvas loafer local to China, and accessorize with my (good will energy) bracelet, watch, and belt.
With that in mind, here are a couple of looks that will always look good on a man in his older years…
The Sunday Best
We’ll start at the top end of your casual wardrobe: the social suit and tie.
For most men, especially younger men, this doesn’t exist anymore. Suits are strictly business wear, and not even then are they a necessity for a lot of professions.
That just makes it even easier for you to stand apart from the crowd when you dapper it up don’t you know. A suit in a casual color and pattern offers all the things we talked about above: luxury, comfort, and, if your tailor did his job right, a perfect fit as well.
But what ever you do, don’t look like a used car salesman!
The traditional time for a man to wear his social suit was on Sunday, to church and then to the inevitable social activities afterward, but don’t let that middle-American habit limit you. A casual suit, with or without a necktie, is always good daytime wear when you want to look sharp.
When I wear a suit, I always simply wear a black blazer over my black tee-shirt. It’s simple. I’m dressed up. Ya gotta problem with that?
For a real impression, I buy a brand new crisp white tee shirt. Then wear it instead of a black one. You gotta break out of your mold every now and then, don’t you know.
Shirts. I do wear them from time to time. Especially when the temperature drops below 90C (30C or so).
After 5:00 or so be sure to skip the necktie — you don’t want to be mistaken for a businessman with dubious professionalism coming home from work. Leave the collar open unless you’re going somewhere very fancy (and if you are, maybe wear a darker, more somber suit).
The Stroller
A “stroller” is an older phrase for daytime semi-formal wear, especially for being out and about — truly strolling somewhere.
It’s really a cool thing to do. But what ever you do, don’t clasp your hands behind your back, carry a boom-box playing forty-year old pop music, or wear pristine white tennis shoes as you do so.
Not recommended.
You should own a good walking outfit, or several, because frankly a man in his silvering years needs to be walking from time to time. It keeps you in good shape — and strolling down Main Street, taking in the crowd for no reason other than personal pleasure is both a perk and a tradition of the silver-haired years.
So own some simple, comfortable trousers and nice clean top, and a good pair of walking shoes, and then… Suddenly you’re a respectable gentleman of means out for a stroll.
A couple of good accents help with this one.
Own some scarves, hats, and gloves with a little flavor to them. Yes, you could wear a baseball cap and stick your hands in your pockets, but (come on!) you can do better than that.
Besides, if a fine attractive lady and you strike a nice conversation, take it inside and enjoy their company over some delicious food!
The Silverback Badass
Style in your older years (not ancient years) is all about not trying too hard. You don’t want to look like a rebel without a cause. That was silly when you were 20, and now it’s really silly.
But can you still be a bit of a rebel from time to time?
Sure. An older gentleman can still wear a leather jacket and jeans, or a denim coat and cords. He just has to make it a little more dignified.
This is a great age for plain-fronted leather jackets — think stripped-down bomber or fatigue styles, not too heavy on the details and fitted close but not hyper-streamlined. Don’t be shy of a little surface weathering; it goes well with gray hairs (assuming you have those — some guys don’t, even in their fifties).
If leather’s not your thing, show some attitude with mix-and-match levels of formality instead. Wear a plush velvet suit jacket over a pair of jeans and let people like it or lump it. You do what you want, right? You gotta problem with that?
It’s important not to get too experimental — you don’t want to look like a runway designer’s latest vision. That’s for younger men. If you can’t wear the look with casual confidence, skip it. But if you can, go ahead and be a rebel now and again.
Here’s some things that an older man should own by now…
Given your environment, obviously.
A Wool Cardigan
No, it’s not a grandpa sweater.
Did Steve McQueen wear grandpa sweaters? No. He wore cardigans, and he looked rugged as hell doing it. So did John Wayne. So does Daniel Craig. They’re awesome, and you should have one.
A good cardigan should be knit wool, heavy enough to be your outer layer for much of the fall and spring. An inner lining of something like flannel makes it warmer and can minimize dry cleaning needs as well. Stay away from hugely oversized floppy collars or really big buttons — those are a little feminine — but otherwise feel free to play around with styles.
Gray is always a reliable color if you don’t feel like experimenting. For the more adventurous man in his fifties, try a cardigan in deep shades of bright primary and secondary colors — burgundy red, forest green, burnt goldenrod.
You can throw a good cardigan over almost anything and be ready for everything from brunch to a cozy late night coffee date. Expect to, once you’ve bought one you like.
A Good Scarf Collection
Scarves?
Yeah. I tend to dress in dark colors and when I am wearing a black blazer over my black tee-shirt, a few nice black scarves really makes the outfit “pop”! And it’s a great conversation piece with the ladies.
Scarves as a style piece rather than a functional necessity are a direct descendant of early airmen and fighter pilots. That made them popular during the interwar years in America, and worn well they still lend you a little of that old-fashioned, dashing appeal, like a gentleman who goes about in something called a “motorcar.”
Start with the basics (black and brown) and then start adding color and pattern. A scarf can be an eye-popping centerpiece or it can blend right into your jacket until the moment when the wind catches the end and whisks it about. Both are good.
While you’re at it, practice a few different ways of looping/tying your scarf. There’s no reason to use the same knot every time. Thin materials look better in different knots than thick materials, and you may want a more or less structured look depending on the rest of your outfit.
So are you fully scarf literate yet? If not, that’s a good project for your later years.
Suede / Canvas topped Shoes or Boots
I have been told that I’m done with sneakers and court shoes at this point in life, except for on the actual court. But that is ok. Suede / Canvas toppers are your new casual, comfortable footwear default.
For the classically-styled man, bluchers in white, gray, blue, and brown are the way to go. If your style is more modern, suede skate-style shoes with contrast lacing make a nice grown-up alternative to teenager’s footgear.
And if you’ve never tried the look, go ahead and get yourself a pair of high-ankled boots in suede. They’ll serve you from about the time it gets too cold for sandals to when the snow starts falling, and the reverse in the spring.
Skin Care Lotion That You Respect
Ignore the commercials; there’s nothing wrong with wrinkles. Your face ought to have some creases after fifty years of well-lived life. If it doesn’t, you weren’t using it enough.
But…
But you want your skin to feel good, and as you age that means taking a little more care of it than you did when you were younger. Find a product or two that keeps your hide feeling supple and healthy. I use moisturizing cream twice daily, and I live in the tropics. If I didn’t my face would probably look like the grand canyon with all sorts of deep crevasses and wrinkles from my days of working the chain-gain at Brickey’s East Arkansas Regional Unit’s Hoe Squad.
If it makes you feel artificially slick or dried out, it’s the wrong product. A really basic moisturizing cream made from natural ingredients if often all a man needs. Lightly scented if you please — you don’t want it to clash with your cologne.
(You are putting a splash of subtle cologne on when you get dressed up at this point in your life, aren’t you? Work on that if you’re not.)
Looks to avoid
There are no completely hard and fast rules in fashion. Someone, somewhere, has probably pulled one of these off in his later years. But you’re not him, and you’ll probably just look bad if you try. So don’t.
Sneakers/trainers. You’re done with ’em. Give it up and get over it. A pair for the gym or other athletic endeavors is fine, but unless you’re in a rock band and on stage, you shouldn’t be wearing athletic shoes as a style choice.
Neckties without jackets. This is a look men should avoid in general, but once you get into your fifties it can only make you look like a depressed, mid-salary cubicle worker with nothing left to live for. Very Death of a Salesman. Throw a jacket on if you’re wearing a necktie. For that matter, throw a jacket on if you’re wearing a dress shirt in general, even without the tie.
Sleeveless shirts. Even on the beach. Tank tops, especially the scoop-neck kind, should be firmly left behind as soon as your hair starts receding and/or going gray. And if you’re in your fifties and it hasn’t, good for you, but still don’t wear sleeveless shirts as your only upper-body covering. (Though, I do wear them in the house as house clothing in the impossibly hot Summers of the South China Sea.)
Also worth avoiding is anything with too much of an “advancing age” feel to it — the really chunky orthopedic shoes, thick, dated eyeglasses, worn-out sweatshirts, or elastic-waist trousers. Oh, and don’t forget to toss that Alice Cooper Tee-Shirt from 1971.
If there’s something you need for your physical health, do it, and don’t ever let anyone make you feel ashamed of it. But go ahead and keep the element small and surrounded by other, purely aesthetic accents, so that it’s not defining who you are the moment people look your way.
Youth is almost always wasted on the young, but with a bit of sharp dressing, middle age can be made to work great for the man in his fifties. Have fun with it. You might be surprised how well you feel, how well you look, and the kinds of people you will meet and strike up conversations with. You never know.
Do you want more?
I have more posts like this in my Happiness Index here…
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
Ever since last December 2019, the news out of America has been that of constant China demonization. There is nothing that China, or the Chinese could do right. That they are evil at a level unprecedented, and the only thing good about a Chinese person is if they were dead.
Ugh!
“Neocons” believe that the United States should not be ashamed to use its unrivaled power – forcefully if necessary – to promote its values around the world. Some even speak of the need to cultivate a US empire. Neoconservatives believe modern threats facing the US can no longer be reliably contained and therefore must be prevented, sometimes through preemptive military action.Most neocons believe that the US has allowed dangers to gather by not spending enough on defense and not confronting threats aggressively enough. One such threat, they contend, was Saddam Hussein and his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Since the 1991 Gulf War, neocons relentlessly advocated Mr. Hussein’s ouster.
-Neocon 101: What do Neoconservatives Believe?
Extreme?
You bet.
But that narrative is intended to drum up support for a war against China. It is immaterial if it is true or not. It just… is all part and parcel of a propaganda campaign that is needed to get Americans on a “war footing”. And make no mistake. They want another full-on World War. They want to see it [1] unify the nation against a common enemy, [2] decimate and destroy China for personal plunder, and [3] renew America as the dominant nation in the world.
Ah. There’s nothing that I can do about that. If America is going to fight another war, there’s nothing that I can do about it. I have as much power in this matter as an ant does against a stampede of rampaging elephants.
All that I can do, is duck my head. Then scurry out of the line of fire. When people ask me what I am doing and why, I point out what I am seeing, and they immediately get their shackles up! “How dare I even think such a thing!” They demand.
Fine, I say.
Bio-weapon COVID-19. The United States would NEVER…
Micro Nuke on the BRI in Lebanon. The United States would NEVER…
Arrest of industry CEOS. The United States would never…
Drones spraying swine flu to destroy Chinese Pork. The US would never…
Ordering other nations to stop trading with China. The United States would never…
Banning 5G, all Chinese phones, Chinese Apps. The USA would never…
Cut trade, communication, and travel with China. The United States would never…
What ever.
Anyways. If you cannot see what the “end game” is with all the NEOCONS in the White House, you never will. It’s pretty blatant and “in your face”.
The only question is timing.
There is a shitload of domestic issues “on the table” right now, and the China events will figure into this calculus, for better or worse. I don’t know which, honestly. After all, it is an election year.
I talked to some close friends and relatives in the USA, all rabid Trump supporters, and they pretty much told me this…
Oh, Trump will get reelected. It's a certainty.
And China. Well, the USA will hurt China really bad, and they won't be able to do anything about it, because "we hold all the cards". Trump is playing 48 D chess. He's very smart, it's just that he has a really bad habit with social media. But, disregard that. He's really, actually a genius.
Biden is such a joke. He is actually physically living inside a closet. There is no friggin' way that he'll ever become President.
It WILL be world war III, and yes, I'm aware of that. But I'm ready, and so is the United States.
I think they are all delusional.
But, I still love them anyways.
OK. Well, I came across this article on my LinkedIN feed a ways back. I thought that it was pretty good. It comes up with other things, positive things to say about China. Which pretty much makes it completely unique. How many times have you read anything positive about China in any of the American press?
I think that the world needs to look at things in a positive way.
Don’t you?
What I Love About China
Published on March 4, 2020 by Jim Nelson, President, SHI Group Recruitment. Edited to fit this venue, and all credit to the original author.
Sentiment
against China inside and out is pretty high these days. Some trends are
concerning, but much endures for me. What I love about China is quite a
bit. I am an American and have lived in China for over 20 years. I love
America and cry when we sing “I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I am free.”
However, I have found things in China that I should mention. I know these comments are generalizations and there are exceptions, but these are things I have generally found to be true. Also, many things I find here I might also have found in other developing countries. I found them here. Finally, some of these lessons may have been things this Swedish American needed to learn more than some others from the US.
What I Love About China
1. Food.
China, Italy, and Mexico are the competitors for the American stomach for a reason. China is a food culture that I love and O, do not make them late for lunch.
2. Friends.
I never knew before I moved to China that most Americans are lonely and do not even know it. What I mean is that Americans like to talk about the weather and some highlights about our kids, but we do not go much deeper.
I have an Afrikaner friend who lives in the States. He says that just when he feels the relationship is going deeper, the American will suddenly back off relationally.
Most Americans have an invisible wall that they do not recognize that no one or almost no one crosses. Remember the Simon & Garfunkel tune that says, “I am a Rock, I am an Island. I touch no one and no one touches me.”? That is America in so many ways.
We Americans do not get personal.
For example, I can talk about religious faith or how much they earn with most anyone in China whereas you cannot touch that in America or you risk losing your friend. It seems I was open to something different when I came to China and discovered that in America we did not talk deep.
I am glad to have become a deeper person here and less lonely. (Though I never knew I was lonely before I came)
3. Be part of a group.
Americans are desperately independent. Freedom has come to mean that we do not rely on anyone emotionally or otherwise. This is related to 2 it seems.
Individualism has become extreme in America. In America, I pump my own gas and never talk to a teller at the bank.
I bought a house in China and borrowed US$60,000 from my Chinese friends and not a penny from my American friends.
Friendships have traction in China.
Americans
would rather give me some money than loan any. When I first married my
Chinese wife 14 years ago, I walked around the table to get a butter
knife right behind my wife. She called me on it immediately. “Why are we
married if you do not ask for anything?”
4. Relationship ties.
Americans give free gifts. We want no tie or outstanding debt as it were.
Chinese give gifts to create and buttress their relationships.
No one talks about a free gift here. 2, 3 and 4 are related here, and I am glad to accept this new thing. I think it has made me a better person.
5. The Chinese is a deeply emotional nation.
In 2001, the American Navy sunk a Japanese fishing boat and many Japanese school students died. No government angst was aired by Japan. The Americans apologized profusely and paid all costs for the losses. The families were upset and wanted apologies and got them. No one in Japan said we did it on purpose. It was a very sad rational event actually.
In 1999, the US bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, it was all angst and blame and harsh words all across China, and no one in China even yet believes the Americans did this by accident. No students died, but three reporters did. China declared them maryters. No sense of that happened in Japan with the boat.
The Chinese people are an introverted deeply emotional people unlike the Japanese. Chinese mothers teach Tang dynasty poetry to their small children. China has a National Holiday to honor a poet who committed suicide. America honors the guy who made someone else die.
The relation between America and China is a love-hate relationship and emotional from the top government to the bottom peasant. The relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is more like business.
I would describe the Americans as being an extroverted audacious shallow emotional country.
I would describe the Japanese as being a rational detailed private country.
The US relationship with China is invariably emotional.
Being a naturally rational person, I gained a lot from the perspective of a deeply feeling country. I learned to live in China.
6. They study history.
The Chinese are backing into the future with their eyes firmly fixed on the past. I love history and yet my countrymen had little interest. Here everything might be seen with eyes fixed on the past. Chinese when I first arrived might approach me and say “Do you love China for her 5000 years of written history?”
I have often enjoyed talking and debating history here in a land where most people still believe the South Koreans started the Korean War. Further, so hard for China to crack the habits of its past in child raising, medical thoughts and on and on.
They seem to say “Surely China could not have been wrong all these 5000 years?” They challenged me to think more about what is true and what I believe about the past.
7. Pedestrian Friendly.
I can ride a bicycle here and never need a car.
In America we must have a car as our cities are spread out and our public transportation stinks as we are desperately independent (see 3 above).
By 2013 Chinese people had stopped riding bikes, but I still do. Then out of nostalgia they started riding rental bikes but that got old fast. I still bike everywhere and love it. China is so dense that biking and walking are practical and subways and buses can fill the rest well.
8. Appreciate everything. Now.
I have learned to not take things for granted, like clean roads, and blue skies with white clouds, and clear understandable win / win relationships.
9. Happiness is an attitude. Not a place.
Happiness cannot be bought. I have seen some of the happiest faces in some of the poorest places here.
I guess I should stop. God Bless America and God Bless China, May they each learn from the other.
Conclusions
It’s a nice article. Of course it is another person’s opinion and where you live will have a lot to do with your experience. I live in Zhuhai China and every day is fresh, clean air, and blue skies. But that came with planning and strong prayer affirmation campaigns. It did not occur out of the blue.
If you are in an industrial zone, expect dirtier and grimier surroundings and a white hazy sky. It comes with the territory.
Where we live will influence your life, and your relationships.
I spent six years in Indiana, in the United States. I had a good job there, and I was making a good salary. yet, something was missing. I didn’t realize what it was until I left Indiana and moved to Mississippi, and then to Boston. It’s the people.
Boston folk are really fine open and friendly, and they might seem a bit brash and harsh, but that’s just their way of getting to know you.
Hey! You'se got a problem with that?
I am sure that Vice President Mike Pence (from Indiana) is a very nice person, but he probably doesn’t drink, he attends church regularly, and has a nice house in an upscale neighborhood. You can probably smile at him and he probably would hold the door open for you in a store, but having a deep heart-to-heart conversation with him would probably be out of the question. It’s not the Hooser way.
It’s not that, that is bad, in itself. The point is that where you live and how you associate with people is what defines the quality of our life.
Be it blue skies, fresh air, nice people that would do anything for you (including give you the shirt off their back), and cultural and social activities.
Life is what we make it.
You do not need to be constrained to live in the same area that your parents choose, nor associate with the same friends that you made in elementary school. You do not need to be stuck in a job that you chose when you were in your early 20’s, and you certainly do not need to be stuck in a relationship that is devoid of love, care, and happiness.
If the USA provides all your needs, emotional, spiritual, cultural, social and monetary, then I say there there and prosper. If that is not acceptable, then try China. And if China is not acceptable, then try another nation. Maybe Iceland. The point is that you, and you alone, define what your happiness is.
And if others don’t understand, well…
…that’s their problem.
Do you want more?
I have more posts like this in my China Index here…
You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.
Please kindly help me out in this effort. There is a lot of effort that goes into this disclosure. I could use all the financial support that anyone could provide. Thank you very much.