Take your Grandson to Work Day
I was the family driver today. My grandmother, who is in her late 70s, brought me (and Mom) to one of her jobs. Among other things, she works as a florist in a "Michael's" store, on of the many warehouse stores that provides hobbyists with arts and crafts materials. She has three jobs. She has no savings and owes a lot of money. She (and mom) attribute this to her strong will and quick temper. She used to quit right away if her boss made her angry. I can't believe how strong she makes herself feel. And now, she's old and kind of wobbly. I want to be there for her, but that's America for you. It's harsh to the senior citizens, and they call it equal opportunity. In spite of all this, she doesn't want to return to the Philippines to "retire". She thinks the overall climate there is bad. Or maybe she's just too used to living here. After all, she's been living in Chicago since the '70s.
I admit, it may be a bit hard in the Philippines. Who would want to live in a lowly third world country with thousand of miles of coastline and beaches and beautiful jungles and nice people and yummy food? Maybe I'm just middle-class, but I don't really mind it. For me, I'm contented with a small life, in a small house in Quezon City, with possibly a small garden.