Solitary or Anti-Social? Inconsiderate?

Disclaimer: Read at your own discretion. The events in this story are merely fictional for enteretainment purposes. This is a a form of expression and is not meant to be taken seriously.

You get home after a long day of work. You get home from a long day of school. Whatever it is it doesn't change. It's one of those days and your exhausted.

I love my job and the people I'm with but I can't help but be tired. I do it on purpose. I like to be productive and progressing each and everyday.  I hate working out, but I do it for two reasons. One of those reasons is so that I can sleep, and the other is so I don't blow up.

It's one of those days and your exhausted. What do you do?

I believe most people prefer to go home, watch TV, cook and eat dinner. Then go to sleep. If it's one of those days you might sip an alcoholic beverage or two...( OR THREE...Muwahahaha)

I value life to be short and time to be valuable. I consider all the things I love to do.
1. Do you go hangout your colleagues?
2. Do you play guitar? (write a song)
3. Get involved with your local religious community? (Bible study or Small faith groups)
4. Golf lessons for business, exercise, and recreation?
5. See a shrink?
6. Call your mom? (This one should be considered first)
7. Exercise
8. Call your brother and friends from Austin?
9. Social Media

The Bottome Line: All the things you love seem like work. Things that you ought to do, but can't because everything seems like a burden with people by this time. Strange isn't it. I can't help but feel guilty if I do, guilty if I don't.

1. Collegues? (Don't poop where you eat) Let's face it you can't talk politics, religion or anything that might ruin a relationship with the people you spend most of your day with.

2. Guitar? Viable option
3. Religion? Face it, when I get into theology It occupies my mind for a very long time. I do a constant research only to realize that everyone believes something different according to whatever religious doctrine they're following. But the negative about this is that it can be a week long distraction from everything else.
4. This one costs money. A lot of money.
5. More money
6. My parents are really busy. They live in California which is three hours behind. They're done with dinner and work by 8pm. That's 11pm in Georgia. I'm dead asleep by then for work. I only call if there's really something genuine here.
7. Exercise (I hate exercise, so I do this for about an hour and move on)
8. Viable option, but they all have their own lives too. Viable option.
9. Ultimately this is free, convenient, and can be misleadingly productive. You think you're being updated on people's lives, but really all you see is what they put up. You talk to a machine and the machine talks to them.

9

What is Dalton, Georgia like? What about the South?

What is Dalton, Georgia like? What about the South?

As you many of you may or may not know, I am currently training with Warren Buffet's private flooring company to be a Solutions Provider for dealers in the flooring industry. The headquarters and location of the training is in Dalton, Georgia.

Dalton is a small town in Northern Georgia, about 30 minutes away from Chattanooga Tennessee. It has about 30,000 people during the weekday and 5000 residents at night. This doesn't seem like such a small town when I say it like that, but really for the sake of moving on, let's just say it is.

Before I moved here to the South, I did not expect the people to be so friendly. I expected them to be filled with confederate pride or racist. Turns out it's the opposite, at least in this small town.

The people here are conservative, humble, and hospitable. The other day I was behind this elderly couple at a Wal-Mart, and they let me cut in front of them. They noticed I had only four items and then they made conversation with me.


When I drove up to the car washer the other day he didn't try to upsell me. In Dallas, the carwashers always tried to push you to buy something more, but not here. The cashiers always seem to make conversation and when they don't start it, you can be sure that if you do, they will definitely take  notice.

That's what's different here, people take notice when you make a little effort to talk to them. The people here smile and keep it simple. They slow down and talk to you. They can drive slow too, but that is okay.

Their modest nature makes it more appealing to me for some reason. When we went to the town bar for example. The women there aren't constantly grinding on each other like a club in Dallas. I grew up in Dallas, Texas so this is my point of reference. Most of them keep it modest in comparison.
Again, this is a small town, and not a city.

I must mention, the ladies here are beautiful, on the inside and the out. On the outside imagine sundresses and clean. When your talking to them or them to you, it seems like they are really listening. They converse and are willing to pass the time. It's hard to explain really. Oh yeah, and if you want to be a gentlemen, they will accept that. None of that feminist rebel stuff about "don't hold the door for me, I got".

In San Francisco ladies are generally all natural (no make-up, no shaving...sometimes), maybe tatted up. Super fit, but wear thick hoodies (because it's cold). It seems like they have feminist views though. They don't need your help when crossing the street. Super intelligent though.

In Dallas, the girls are beautiful on the outside too (sundresses and heels), but on the inside I always got the impression that the standards were too high for me to ever meet when it came to conversing. 

I always thought only the liberal culture cities had the friendliest sociable people. I'm referring to San Francisco, Austin, LA, New York. Turns out conservative culture has its share of friendly places too. Liberal cities tend to more accepting of different views and freedom of expression.

So far I haven't seen this freedom of expression yet, but they are very hospitable here. I guess they don't call it "Southern Hospitality" for nothing. I've been invited to so many events from strangers I've just met. New friends :D

I question how or why the South is so unexpectedly friendly.  Could it be the Protestant Christian roots? Could it be an effort to divert the confederate stereotype? Could it be the economy?

Whatever it is, I really like it.

*Again my view is limited mainly to this small town in particular.

My view so far:

San Francisco- Accepting, O'Natural, Freedom of Expression, Intellectual
Austin-Expressive, Accepting, great mixture (The San Fran of Texas)
Dallas, Texas: Clean, Texas Pride, High Standard, 
Kansas City, Missouri: Reserved but Friendly, Accepting
Dalton, Georgia: Conversational, Hospitable, Humble, Modest
New Jersey: Straight to the point, doesn't like outsiders. (Set to change) 
Los Angeles: AWESOME! (I think I'm biased for this one though)

Thanks to Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today I was going to the grocery store after a workout and the cashier talked to me. She noticed on my tank top the Santa Cruz symbol and said her last name was Cruz. With my love for California beaches, I told her that it was one of the coolest beaches and that she should definitely go check it out sometime. She responded with a bittersweet smile and said, “yeah, I will if I ever have the money”. It struck me with a flashback memory.

This moment reminded me of the time I worked at Kroger.  There was this twenty-something-year-old cashier who could never afford to go anywhere because he had to take care of his sick mother. From the time he was sixteen he never really had the opportunity to go to college or even leave his small town. His father was not around and his mother was so sick she was bedridden for most of her days.

I wondered if this was the story of the girl at the grocery store…

Here I was after so many months of unemployment, finally employed with this great company. I remember thinking how miserable it was to be unemployed, yet I got to experience what some people could never dream of doing: California. This girl said “IF” she could ever afford it. Not “WHEN” but “IF”.

I have often believed that there’s no stopping me from doing what I want to do. Eventually I will do it and in most cases, there isn’t an “IF”. 

I realized that the mindset and the gift to hope and dream is probably something I’ve often overlooked during bad times. The gift of “believing” that something good “CAN” and “WILL” happen is even greater.

Thanks Mom and Dad

P.S. I haven't forgotten that there are still a lot of people who are unemployed out there. I "CAN" and "WILL" help fix this.