The other day, a Chinese lady I work with made an interesting comment. She basically said that Americans are selfish. I don’t know if she said those exact words, but she said that Americans think about themselves more than people in China do. She didn’t say it in a demeaning way at all… it was more of a matter of fact comment about how our cultures differ.

I started to understand what she meant. Many people look out for themselves first before seeing if anyone else is in need. Then many of the people who do “help” others do it because they know it will give them a tax break or some other reward. The more I think about it, the more I see how selfish we are in all of the little things we do every day. I’m starting to think it’s becoming more and more normal to be selfish these days. What can we do to change this?

Man it seemed like no one wanted to be at work today. I don’t know if it was because of the time change this past weekend or what. I was a little tired myself, that’s for sure. It also doesn’t help that the weather got cold again. But I was happy when I got home.

After taking a little nap, I went for a drive to relax a little and enjoy the longer daylight. Now that I’m back I feel much better. For about the last year or so, taking a drive has been a good way for me to relieve stress. I forget about whatever’s on my mind and enjoy the scenery on some quiet roads. It’s amazing how much better it is than trying to relax in front of the TV or computer!

It also made me think that I’ve gotten away from doing other relaxing things that I used to do, like drawing, biking, and fishing. And even though I never really got seriously into it, I’d like to get into photography. It’s always been a goal of mine, but I’ve seemed to keep myself “too busy” to take the time to enjoy it. Sometimes you have to tell yourself to slow down so you can make time for the things you really like. Besides, a good hobby is the best way to relax and get away from it all!

The other day at work I talked to a guy from New York City. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t originally from NYC though, because he didn’t have the typical New Yorker accent. After telling him that our call center is in Michigan, he told me how he thought that people in Michigan were nice—particularly that the women are not too judgemental compared to other areas in the country. He described how women in NYC will judge the guys they date by the car they drive and what kind of a house or apartment they live in, as if that’s the most important part of the relationship. He said they’ll actually drill you with questions about those things to find out how much money you make and how you spend it.

This kind of made me feel good about where I live, but at the same time it made me sick to hear firsthand how shallow some people are. I mean, I’ve known there are people like that, especially in the big cities like New York and LA. But the way he described it made me feel like it’s kind of a plague, and that I’m lucky to live somewhere where it’s not so bad! I’m sure that not all women in New York are like that, just like there are some people in Michigan that can be a little snobbish. But even before I talked to this guy I’ve thought about how money-oriented our society seems to be getting. Or maybe it’s just me…

I always drag in the morning for a few hours after I get up. I don’t know if it’s just my body telling me I want more sleep or if I just don’t want to go to work. Probably both. It’s just that I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker. I pretty much only drink it when I go to Starbucks, which isn’t too often. I’ve been hesitant about drinking coffee in the morning when I get up, because I’m too worried I’d become dependant on it. But lately I’ve been thinking about starting. Why waste every morning sleepwalking when I could actually have a little energy?

I just have to say it’s Mo’s fault I’m considering coffee right now, so at least I have someone to blame if I get too dependant!

The Sacramento Kings showed a stereotypical video of abandoned buildings and burned out cars while introducing the Detroit Pistons during a game on Tuesday. They have since issued an apology for showing the images, but there is still some discussion going on about it. I came across this ESPN Radio discussion about the video. Most people who called in sounded like they thought it was ok, mostly because Detroit isn’t really all that nice of a city, so it was funny to them. Some people, even a Pacers fan, thought it was a low blow.

I personally don’t feel offended, but it is bad sportsmanship, even though they say Sacramento pokes fun at other teams too. Yeah, Detroit does have a bad image. I can attest to that, because I recently saw what was probably a drug house, completely engulfed in flames while driving down the expressway. But it’s well known that Detroit has been trying to turn around its image in time for the Super Bowl this winter. There are literally thousands of great people volunteering their time to try to make downtown Detroit a better place, and this is a cheap shot to all of them. I was fortunate enough to meet a few of those people last winter during the Motown Winter Blast, and it’s amazing how positive their attitudes were! I really think the story this winter will be how much Detroit has done to change the image of the downtown area.

I came across this quote today, and I thought it makes a good point:

People’s behavior always makes sense to them.

What do you think about this?