The man who reminds me to be thankful !
66A picture of what I sometimes complain about !
And I get a reminder everyday
I am really lucky to live In the section of San Diego I live at. I live on a hillside across from a University and when you look to the Immediate west you can see the Seaworld Tower and the Pacific Ocean just beyond that In the distance . I often take this for granted which Is kind of a shame on me deal . I live In Southern California as most all of you know . And I live In pretty much what I call the hub of me society . Alot of Socals can be very materialistic and petty . And a persons character Is often defined by the car they drive , or their clothes or their bank account .
It Is a rare day when they are measured by their character. But not all are that way around here . It just seems that way , especially by the younger crowd who have been taught by their televisions the nessecity of rock hard abs and Abercrombie and Fitch . And every now and again I got caught In this trap as well ! I start measuring myself against every one around me , I start counting my hatefuls Instead of my gratefuls and I completely lose perspective on all that Is Important In life . But like all of us these days I have been eating a little bit more humble pie .
I do not see that as a bad thing . I like humble , I think It Is a good character trait to have . A friend told me once that humble people are grateful people and grateful people are happy people . I am still working on that last part as I can be pretty grumpy a majority of the time . But that Is getting a little better as age has brought some degree of temperance . And I also have the asset of a little old Vietnamese man who comes by with a basket full of recyclables just about everyday In my nieghborhood . I have a very large pocket of Vietnamese people who live roughly 1-1/2 miles up the Blvd . from where I reside . I like these people they are hard working , they are humble , they are friendly and they often make me smile . Lana Is a friend who cuts all 5 strands of what Is left of my hair ( plus my grays ) and I love her dearly . Vita also works at the shop down the hill from me too , she does nails and Is just as sweet as they come. I like to give those two a hug when I see them they make me smile !
And then we have the little old Vietnamese man whom I see almost daily , he does not know It but he Is my teacher . He goes throughout the neighborhood just about everyday to pick up recyclables from all the trashcans and I see him bent over pushing that cart up and down the hill and I wonder what his name Is and what his story Is . Whenever I see him I always give him a few bucks because I know he Is working very hard for very little . One time I did not have my wallet on me when he came by and I felt awful . He always gives me a little smile and says thank you and I can tell from his old but sparkling eyes he Is totally sincere .
And then you ask what he teaches me ? He teaches me to be thankful for what I do have In my life . Because I have said It many times , I do not have everything I want but I have way more then I need . And I am thankful because I see him just about everyday so I have a constant reminder everyday to be thankful . And I am one of these people who needs to be taught and retaught all the time to be thankful . My skull Is the hardest part of my anatomy !
I do not know If I should talk to him and ask his name, or to hear his story as I am sure he has one to tell . Or If I should just leave It be and just keep giving him a few bucks from time to time and get the gift of his thankful and sincere smile . I need to thank him for reminding me to be more thankful . But I think there Is a quiet understanding between us already .
One last thought : A MAN IS NOT POOR WHO HAS LITTLE . A MAN IS POOR WHO WANTS ALOT !
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Thank you for checking In advisor .
Hooah good hub good life...
Appreciate you sharing, Tony! Reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said about being thankful in ALL circumstances: when we have plenty and when we have not. I am looking for a video link I will send you as soon as I find it - puts it all into a perspective.
This aging thing does have a tendency to make us stop and smell the roses sometimes. I wish I had the view you do? I love the ocean, and watching the sun set and rise over it.
Very nice Hub, Tony. Very nice.
Dean
Hmrjmr1 thank you and I am glad you enjoyed the hub . My life Is probably better then I give It credit for my brain sometimes seems to be the problem ! :D
Cat I look forward to you sharing that video with me . And I am glad you enjoyed the hub .
My dear friend Dean you are welcome hereanytime and I will buy the beer and Diet Coke !
It is good to have reminder!
Keep on Hubbing!
Thx eovery I need a constant reminder . I am glad to share mine with all of you .
I loved this Tony....you did good my friend. :)
Tom thanks loads ! And I hope you and Tammy have a fabulous labor day weekend !
Tony, You have it down, man! I love the story of your little old Vietnamese man being your inspiration for humility and gratitude. Thanks for a beautiful reminder of what's really important in life.
Tonight I am very, very grateful to have you as a friend in my life! MM
MM I cannot say thank you enough for such kind words ! All I have to say Is right back at ya ! You know that I know that you rock !!!
Nice hub Tony,thanks for the wake up.
I agree with you tony. Being thankful for what we have is paramount to leading a healthy and happy life. I know that I complain about stuff a lot but I am also grateful for what I do have, and this hub is a great reminder of that. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you both Wesley and Percy for checking In and I wish you both a Happy Sunday !
I wish all Americans could look at life the way you do. We would have less complaining, but as long as we are divided into groups, we will have conflict. Conflict is not all that bad but when it turns into hatred such as Islamic Nations express for the (infidels) Non believers of Islam, we have to be realistic about who our enemies are.
Well Great American I thank you for the comment. This Is not a political hub though. This Is just a hub about me trying to learn lifes lessons . Because I think after my mid 20s I realized I did not know everything We do live In a world filled with conflict for sure , but I feel It Is my responsibility to add some harmony too . Only I can do my part , I cannot expect others to do It for me.
But I agree with your Initial thoughts . I think the world would be a better place If they all thought like me. But does,nt everyome feel that way ? Happy Sunday
Good thoughts and musings, tonyo724. Keep yanking your collar up and away from those 'socials', cause it sounds like you have your head on straight. :-) And why don't you go ahead and ask the gentleman about 'his story'. Then tell us too...OK?
I sometimes wonder how straight my head can be Frogy , however as I get older I have come to realize more and more the senselessness of the superficial . And I am glad that old man comes around to remind me all the time . Thank you for dropping In !
he is content with little has everything..... that was a truly beautiful hub,,,,,, it sounds like you live in a nice part of the world the picture is great too.... enjoy
Thank you Brenda for dropping In . And I so appreciate the kind words and am very happy you enjoyed the hub . Yes I agree a San Diego sunset Is pretty hard to beat ! By the way I really enjoyed your poetry , and thank you for making the world a brighter place !
"And then you ask what he teaches me ? He teaches me to be thankful for what I do have In my life . Because I have said It many times , I do not have everything I want but I have way more then I need"...
isn't that the truth though..nicely worded hub with many inspirational thoughts and yes it seems age has alot to do with mellowing one out...You are such a dear man...thanks :O) Hugs G-Ma
Thx G-Ma this Is a classic example of why I adopted you for my on line Mom ! Have a lovely Sunday !
Tony, I hope I did not say something that offended you..
If I did, sorry my friend, I enjoy reading your Hubs and
I feel we are on common ground..
greatAmerican no harm no foul Bud. I like your hubs too . And yes we do have common ground !
Hi Tony, gratitude brings us to a happier place. I've been there too when I used to be depressed than happy. I feel so blessed that now I am able to see life and myself with a different perspective. Thank you for writing this beautiful and heartwarming hub. It is good to be reminded of this truth all the time. :)
Michelle thank you for dropping In and blessing me with your sunshine. And I am happy you liked the hub. Just my opinion , but I think the world Is an Infinitely better place with you here !
I knew you have it in you! Ha! Suweet tony, you didn't fool me one bit despite those rants and cynicism. Why, this almost made me weep!
Anyway, thanks for sharing this. You are a blessing, too. Ask the old Vietnamese man if you don't believe me :D
Cris I might be gettin soft as I get a little older ! I am glad you enjoyed the hub . I do Intend to talk to him, I am pretty sure we are already friends , Thx my brother ! :D
But my brother, I went deeper than enjoying this. But let us not go hmmm soft. :D
Cris I so appreciate those kind words ! And It rally makes me happy , because this sounds corny ,but It was kinda a labor of love for me . Now I gotta cut myself off , some girls might come by and think we are some kinda softies are somethin ! Again Cris I cannot thank you enough for those kind words
Love that last line Tony - such a wonderful breath of fresh air - all that gratitude for everything we have! And a great reminder to all of us - so thanks so much :)
Thank you Shalini ! I would love to take credit for that last line but I read It In a book somewhere . and trust me I need to have a reminder all the time . I appreciate you dropping by ! :D
Thanks for this reminder of all we have to be thankful of! You have the secret of happiness in your sights. To be content and thankful for the gifts we are given, and not waste time wanting the ones we aren't. :D
Thx k@ri I am glad you liked the hub . I just wonder why I am still grumpy sometimes . I guess It Is In my DNA . Oh well . k@ri I wish you a great week !
I believe you should talk to him and by the way you have been writing you are quite humble. Talk to him and see if you can share his story here, he may even allow you to take his pic. Great article !!! :)
AE everybody keeps telling me to do so . So I believe I am not done with this story yet ! Thx for dropping In ! Hugs to ya .
....and congrats on those 50 hubs Tony :)
Thank you Shalini and I feel safe In saying at least two of the are good ! :D
I think that you are a real emotional man. You look at the things, observe them and draw conclusion on them. Well thanks for sharing this nice story.
And thank you for dropping In !
We all have beautiful things around us if we just take the time to enjoy them we would all complain less.
I have to remind myself to stop and smell the roses all the time Dan . Thank you for dropping In .
*just a knowing smile*
Thx ralwus ! Nice to see you here ! Have a great day .
Couldn't be more true!
We tend to take things for granted and when times pass we will reflect back that those indeed the best thing we could ever have. Even a "moment" is need to be appreciated!
Thank you for stopping by Ken .
There is so much to love about life. Thanks, Tony
THANKS FOR A GREAT BLOG
Thank you Jess for dropping In and commenting .
And thank you Lakerboy . I am glad you enjoyed the hub !
Tony,
I enjoyed this story, bub. I would absolutely engage the man and strike up a friendship. There's no telling what else you could learn from him. And maybe he could learn from you, too.
James we seem to have a quorum on that matter . Which means It might be necessary for me to do a follow up hub in this matter. And James I probably have something to learn from alot of people ! Thank you for dropping In Bro ! :D
Very sincere and interesting article...Thanks for your support and your article. Everyone here has brought a smile to my face...just like in my picture. You are doing awesome by the way! I viewed every inch of your article lol! Just joking...just the important good stuff! It's nice to meet you!
Tammy first and foremost I would like to welcome you to HubPages . I will tell you now I am probably the last person you may want to look to for advice as there are some hubbers here who are superb ! Me I am average. But I am glad you enjoyed the hub , and I will be checking In on yours too .
Thank you for dropping by Tammy
Very good
Hi Tony-
Enjoyed reading this hub. We can all lose sight sometimes of what is important but sooner or later realize it and it helps ground us. Thanks for reminding us all of how good indeed we do have it.
Bail Up thank you so much for dropping by and I am glad you enjoyed this little window Into my life . And I always have to remind myself I have It better then I think I do !
hahawang Thank you for the kind words and I hope you have a great day !
I love this hub! So true, we get lessons from anyone or anything around us.
I love the photo! Did you take it?
Thank you for sharing!
Jill I am so happy you enjoyed the hub . And may I say I enjoy yours as well . I would love to take credit for the photo unfortunately , I looked for photos of San Diego sunsets and I liked this one too. It Is over by Tourmaline Beach a very popular surf spot . And I look forward to reading more of your hubs too ! Jill have a great day ! Oh It might be evening over there !
Sometimes we do tend to take things for granted, don't we? :O And I do agree that Gratitude is a very good place to be. :)
Hi Susan , nice to see you here ! I agree that sometimes I take way too much for granted . The reality Is that I am In a state of grace . Grace as defined by the dictionary means undeserved favor . So I am actually In a state of undeserved favor . My life Is probably better then my head tells me . But thank God I have that little old man around to remind me ! Have a great day Susan !
It's 12 midnight on my side of the planet, Tony, so goodnight?! Hehe. :) I have to disagree about the being in a state of undeserved favor though, because I believe that each of us deserves the best in life. :)
Good night Susan ! :D My bad , 9 AM here !
I truly loved this hub. You see I was brought up in a small town. I lived with my grandparents and they grew everything we ate. I picked up alot of wisdom from them and I learned that I should not pass judgement on people but that I should try to be friendly to everyone. Because what we have is not who we are. I think the more people have sometimes the more lost they become. So the old gentlemen in your story is as true to himself as you can get. I live in the city now and I see how different it is to back home. Some people are just good no matter what. But if you have to compete with the jonses i think there might be a personal issue going on. I get cracky too. I think that comes with all the aches and pains of aging..lol i hope.. any way I loved your hub and i hope you stop by and read mine. god bless you.
Tracy thank you for stopping In and sharing your thoughts here . I appreciate them . And I will be Indeed be checking your hubs too ! I am happy you enjoyed this !
Very wise words that I had bever heard or read before: A MAN IS NOT POOR WHO HAS LITTLE . A MAN IS POOR WHO WANTS ALOT !
Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you Anath for dropping by and I am glad you liked It !
I cannot believe I missed this one buddy! What a beautiful view you must have...are you on the North side by Mission Bay? Over on the top of the hill by Texas st??? or Up clear by La Mesa on the top of the hill? Wherever the view sounds spectacular.
When I lived in San Diego my great grandpa's property overlooked a view to Coronado Bridge and the bay...it was magnificent. "million dollar view" is what I called it!
About your hub- I couldn't agree with you more on this. I think I like this humble side to you my friend, although I love the more cocky and sarcastic side too! I really enjoyed this! thanks buddy!
Actually JJ I live on a hill that face the Seaworld to the west and Mission Valley to the south. I used to live In Pacific Beach but got tired of the Insanity and the sleep depravation I was getting . My fault though I was living on Mission Blvd .
I am a little disturbed though as I have not seen the old man around In a couple of weeks .
And JJ I am glad you enjoyed It ! And ya know I will always be a smartass Its In my DNA !!!
I hope he is ok....
Me too JJ ! If I run Into him I will post It . But evryone thinks I should talk to him and get his biography I think I will . Next time I see him that Is !
Tony, how did this hub get by me? So glad to find it now. A beautiful story of what is really important, recognizing, appreciating and sharing this with others. Should you talk? Please do..take notes adn share his deeper beautiful story with us, I really look forward to that. In the mean time thanks for this picture of the world, very nice my friend
Sue I have not seen him In a couple of weeks now , so I am a little concerned as I do want to hear his story ! I am glad you liked the picture too. Sue you are a good soul so I am glad you appreciated the story . Talk to you soon !
advisor4qb says:
4 months ago
I can relate.