There are some things that, as time passes, I’ve come to learn. Here’s a short, current list: 1. Always choose an experience or opportunity over the acquisition of material things. 2. Risk is inevitable. You take them, thoughtfully or recklessly, or eventually you run the risk of being a victim of your indecision. 3. When … More As Old Money Ages
If you’ve followed this blog at all, or if you’ve read The Old Money Book, you know how I feel about rampant consumerism. Aside from the obvious effect of crippling many Americans financially, it’s also eroding our personal relationships. I feel that many people have substituted shopping for having real interests like reading, travel, mentoring, … More Black Friday Alternative
Life is like a restaurant. When you arrive, the place is already up and running under written regulations and unwritten rules that you may never know and that are unlikely to ever change. You enter and are probably treated as politely as you treat those who run the place. You are judged to a certain … More Life is Like a Restaurant
I was fortunate enough to catch up with some old friends recently. Dinner started late–the restaurant had botched our reservation–but no one in our party really cared. We started at the bar with a round of drinks and a quick, ruthless inventory of respective hairlines that were going north and waistlines that were headed south … More Old Money & Friendships
In The Old Money Book, I detail the values, priorities, and habits of individuals and families who’ve enjoyed wealth and privilege for three generations or more. Not by accident, the book begins with Old Money Values. If you don’t know what’s important–to you or someone else–mimicking certain behaviors will be a short-lived endeavor with hit-or-miss … More How Old Money Lives
Recent revelations by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have revealed that we may not have had all the privacy we imagined as we went about our daily lives, online and elsewhere. Exactly what the government should and should not be doing, and what we can do about it, are subject to debate. Discussions about how much … More Old Money, Private Lives
Many people assume that Old Money excludes other people: people who aren’t as rich, people who aren’t as well-traveled or as well-read, people who aren’t WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). While elitists and racists abound in every social class, the majority of Old Money associates with whomever they please. They do this because they’re very comfortable … More Pride and Prejudice
I know of no subject contemplated, mythologized, and trumpeted more–and practiced less–than loyalty, especially in America. It’s not surprising given the transient, temporary, and disposable nature of our culture. We strive for what is quick and convenient, and true friendship is neither. And it is on the altar of true friendship that we sacrifice what … More Loyalty