After living abroad for a period of time (six months in Italy and seven years in France), I feel qualified to offer a very gentle primer on how to better understand any friends you may have who are now living full time outside the United States. Why could this be helpful? Because people change when … More Understanding Your Expat Friends
Recently, I received an email concerning what I’ll call “the management of friendship.” The sender’s inquiry went something like this: I have a couple of longtime friends whose company I enjoy. However, they aren’t as attentive to their finances as I am. When we go out for dinner or drinks, they order and spend without … More The Best of Friends
On May 27th, just a few short days from now, a dear friend of mine will retire from teaching. To be fair, this isn’t the first time. He first retired several years ago, certain that he had done his duty. Bored out of his skull a few months later, he rejoined the campaign to stamp … More An Educator Retires
Scarlet O’Hara famously said that, ‘After tall, tomorrow is another day,’ her closing remark in Gone With The Wind engraving a defiant optimism in the minds of a generation of readers, and probably even more film fans. So, with the ravages of Covid-19 still plaguing the globe, it’s important for us to remember this as … More The Slow But Certain Dawn
In this digital age when over-sharing is de rigueur, I think it’s important to revisit from time to time the concept of keeping a secret. Privacy, which is a Core Value of Old Money, is a general concept. Keeping a secret is a specific, tangible choice. The difference between the two makes the latter worth … More The Importance of Keeping a Secret
“When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.”
David, one of our long-time community members and frequent finder of thought-provoking articles for this blog, sent me this story recently. I think it’s quite interesting, and I’d love to hear some experiences you’ve had with this issue. That is: how do you handle developing and maintaining friendships with people who have a very different … More Friends and Money
In response to your question, I would say there are a few challenges. There’s a pull that comes from the responsibility. I could spend half my day answering emails from the money manager or on the phone with the house manager. Busy work. I have to stay focused on my profession while managing the duties … More Old Money: In Their Own Words
If there are two characteristics that would be near the top of any list describing the Old Money culture, the would be structure and discipline. When Old Money works, it works. When it plays, it plays. Old Money does what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, whether it’s a pleasant task … More Structure and Discipline
There’s always plenty of commentary and discussion about technology’s impact on human interaction, particularly conversation. Online, I see headlines about how someone or something has ‘started the conversation’ about a particular issue. Actually, in the realm of social media, it may have started with posts, comments, photos, videos, and all manner of things going viral. … More The Lost Art of Conversation