climb baby climb!

My 65-pound 6 year-old daughter wanted to climb, with safety rope and belt of course.

While whipping out $5.00 for her three attempts, I reflected on my own White Mountain Wilderness experience, and subsequently, my Mexico expedition with her sister atop the Mayan pyramid. Different mother, yet same propensity.

Must be hard-wired in their genes. Best part is, it’s self-initiated. Don’t you want to raise kids who are self-motivated?

Vietnamese mythology has its origin in both the Divine (King) and the Human (Queen), which resulted in The Grand Divvying up (with 50 children climbed up hill to occupy the mountains, like Sapa, while the other 50 the Seas.)

It’s no surprise Vietnam is being developed into a major tourist destination, with miles of unexploited resources.

If Singapore had those competitive advantages, they would propel to number 2 spot, currently held by the US .

It’s about time the President address school kids. No child left behind, but nations are zooming by.

It’s not easy to be at the top these days. Except when you are the other Boss.

Not every one can be as “cool” as Bruce. I remember going to his “Born to run” concert back in 76.

I remember how his New Jersey accent sounding much more authentic than Travolta’s.

I bring up the Boss, because he is turning 60 this month. Still touring, 50 concerts this summer.

He would point to signs of the time, all the while, reminding us that we still got our pair of jeans, the Rock beats, and our resilient spirit (Bruce took the torch from

“Born to be Wild”, to produce “Born to Run”, then “Born in the USA”, the “born” not  Bourne franchise.

Some were born to shop until they drop.  Or drop dead. The Walmart doorman death by early shoppers’ stampede ,

quite an (project) Impact! speaks volume about what motivates us ( buying stuff we don’t need, with the money we don’t have, to impress the people we don’t like).

With this Recession barely behind us, some have, according to the NY Times, already cooked up another triple-A portfolio ( cashed-out life insurance mixed with other CDO’s) to feed insatiable Wall Street traders.

Recent trickle-up disaster of sub-prime mortgage hasn’t deterred these risk-takers one bit. Maybe it’s not the lack of imagination, but of ethics. First betting on someone’s roof, then someone’s life. (In fact, Yahoo News featured a story about going back to school, in this case, father and daughter, except that Dad, this time around, majors in Funeral Sciences. If I have to go that round, I will become a CSI).

There are still many rungs to climb before the fall. At least, my baby got her safety belt on, harnessed by the attendant, under my watchful eyes and others’ at the food court.

Climb baby climb. You are every-inch” born in the USA”, the number 2 competitive economy. But your ancestors, “made in Vietnam” (this makes my daughter nearing Nike shoes, whose idea was “born in the USA”, yet made in VN).  JUST CLIMB IT. Face your fear, she said. Wonder where’s that come from? She barely made the bus this morning (w/ one Nike shoe, and the other, non-matching white)  because she spent Labor Day climbing.

90% of success is showing up. At Avis (being # 2), we work harder.