Deadpool & Wolverine and Lessons of the Week

My wife and I watched Deadpool & Wolverine, and it was a fun, self-deprecating movie. I heard it described as a love letter to 90’s and 2000’s superhero movies, and I can see that aspect of the movie considering some of the cameos, and that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the main characters. Considering that it’s Deadpool, I did expect the character to break the fourth wall quite a bit. However, the movie criticizing Marvel, the MCU post-Endgame, the Multiverse, and Disney was a nice touch, and I generally agreed with the sentiment. I think that Marvel needed this movie, as previous Marvel movies reportedly lost money and did not seem well-received. I don’t know if this movie is where they turn the corner with Marvel movies, but with the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel looks to have some momentum on their side.

This week has taught me a few things. I have been procrastinating with calling someone that I need to have a discussion with, and that’s not something that I should be holding off on. I was supposed to call the bank for an appointment but did not, and that cost me time and energy. I ordered an event that only one person came over for, which was disappointing but also a waste of money. Granted, more people originally accepted to attend but had to cancel for various reasons. It shows that problems happen because of the things that you don’t do that end up catching up to you. Also, things happen that are out of anyone’s control, but it may be a good idea to just be smarter about time and money.

Some things are fun and good ways to escape, but the real world will teach you things the hard way. Lessons are learned through mistakes and struggles, and I can either just stay frustrated about the outcome or move forward.

Problems and Leadership

This has been one of the tougher weeks for my wife and me as we were both sick. Also, a plumbing issue happened that was also problematic with the week leading up to a big Church event. I’ve seen it throughout my life, but problems have a way of compiling on top of each other all at once. Sometimes, it is due to allowing something to build up over time, and other times, it is just a random event. Sickness is just one of those things that happens, and plumbing issues only arise very suddenly as well. It is just a matter of how we react to the problems, and that is all that we can control.

There has been a lot of chaotic events lately. A bullet that was mere inches from its target that could have changed this country’s trajectory. And now, we have discovered that our country’s leadership in the coming months will be led by a different leader. This has been a first in my lifetime, and as an adult, this sort of thing has shown increasing importance. Leadership is important, and with our country, what leadership does and implements trickles down to the citizens. When I was young, I honestly did not care too much to know about world events. Now, as an adult with more responsibilities, expenses, a marriage and whatnot, this stuff is important.

There are problems out there from an individual perspective, but also with the world at large. It can get chaotic, but it is important to find order within that chaos. We cannot control the outcome, but we can control how we react to it.

Beliefs and the Dentist

The events of this week made me think of the extent people will go for their beliefs. Generally speaking, most people are seemingly decent believing whatever they want. There are others though that do not act decently and may even cause harm to others based on certain beliefs, the individual’s mindset, outside forces and other factors. It goes against loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you, but that may be more difficult to do for some. Some say that there is just too much anger and hatred in society these days, and that the temperature is too high. It does make me think about where we are as a society and how individuals should behave in a decent and civil society.

Otherwise, my wife and I had two dental appointments this week. We had to take half days for two days of the week, and the week just flew by. The dentist is never fun, but I think that I am getting used to it. They numb you and then use strange tools to clean and scrape your teeth, and sometimes, it feels as if they are going to damage your teeth doing that. I have learned to relax when I can, but sometimes, even being numbed, it still hurts. We had a deep clean done, and I was bleeding by the end of it.

Some things are very difficult and must be navigated in a proper way in order to achieve positive outcomes. Not everyone does that, unfortunately, and we get terrible situations. Hopefully, we can move past all this.

Sound of Hope and 4th of July 2024

My wife and I watched “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” this week, and it was wonderfully inspirational. The movie is about a small town in Texas that adopts seventy-seven orphans with the central characters being the minister of the town and his wife. Religion plays a big role in the movie, as does family and community. However, it is not easy for the families as all of them are working class people on the poverty line, and the movie depicts their hardships very well. It is amazing that a small town did such a feat, but it goes to show that even those with very little can do great things especially with strong religious values and community behind them.

We watched Sound of Hope on the afternoon of the Fourth of July, and that night, we saw the fireworks. My wife was sick last year during this time and could not participate in any festivities last year, so it was nice to be able to spend 4th of July with her this year. We went to a local street festival the next town over and saw the fireworks. There were rides and food trucks lined up, and we decided to eat at a food truck that serves lobster with their foods. It was pricey, but it was a “when in Rome” type of thing, as we most likely would not get a chance to eat something like that for a while. Otherwise, the fireworks show was nice, and we may go to neighboring cities in following years to see what their 4th of July festivities are like.

It was a fun 4th of July weekend. It was nice to see the local community out and about having fun and participating in something together. It was also fun celebrating this holiday with my wife for the first time with watching the movie and watching the fireworks.

Shark Tank and the End of June

My wife got me into watching “Shark Tank,” and it is an interesting and entertaining show. The act of making something from an idea is very much in my wheelhouse, especially with me wanting to be an author. Some of the contestants end up making it big, some fail, and some fall somewhere in the middle. These people are generally passionate about their ideas but the results of their passion can go any direction. It makes me think of my own writing works, as I believe in my stories. I’m not under the impression that I’ll just put it out there, and it’ll automatically be the next Harry Potter. I have also recognized that while I am the content creator, I am not an artist, marketing personnel, advertiser, or something else that is needed to sell books. There is a lot of work to be done even after I put something out.

It is already the end of June, and I really do not know where the month went. It suddenly got hotter here in Orange County, and the AC and fans have been used a lot. It is also the season finales and even series finales for a few anime series that I’ve been watching. Our dog, Luna, turned twelve this month, but she still looks and acts like a puppy. It has been three years since I bought this condo in Lake Forest, and I wasn’t even looking to upgrade when I bought it. One of the highlights of this month was watching Cirque de Soleil: Kooza, and I am more than willing to check out other Cirque de Soleil programs. Overall, it was a good month.

I am keeping an open mind when it comes to my goals and passions. I am a believer in getting back what I put in, so I can only hope that when I put out The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom that I’ll get some traction and momentum, if not more.

Cirque de Soleil: Kooza and Living in Orange County

My wife and I watched Cirque de Soleil Kooza, and it was amazing. We watched Cirque de Soleil: Mystere in Las Vegas, so this wasn’t our first performance that we’ve seen of this type. However, Kooza was funny, entertaining, creative and artistic with some fantastic performances. This production could tell the story of a scene using just the spotlights, and the costumes, sets and performers were on point. I can appreciate that it was a story, and while no words or narration was happening, they still managed to convey a tale using performances. Also, it did not hurt that it was in a big top just in the next city over, and the seating has it where it is an intimate atmosphere.

We also had to go more inland this past week for an event. I don’t think people on the coast or near the coast of California, especially in Orange County, realize how good they have it. We went to a place where we drove a good twenty to thirty minutes until we saw the first grocery store, and plazas were very few and far between. Even when I lived in a condo in a working-class area of Santa Ana where graffiti was prevalent, there were so many neat places to go to nearby with no issues finding a grocery store. In Lake Forest, my wife and I were deciding to where to eat: sushi, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Mediterranean, and we ended up choosing Mediterranean. All these places were within a five-to-fifteen-minute drive away. Orange County has a very high cost of living, and I wish it were cheaper to live here, but I can see why it costs so much along with the benefits of living here as opposed to some other places.

It was an interesting week where we got to see an amazing performance and a part of California that I would guess many just don’t see. Seeing all this has given me a greater appreciation of where I live, and how much easier and convenient things are here.

Father’s Day 2024 and Freaky Friday

My wife and I spent Father’s Day with my side of the family, getting brunch at a Filipino restaurant. I have two brothers, who are now both fathers themselves. We reminisced a bit, remarking on how much time has passed by and how friends we grew up with have receding hairlines. Also, they talked about some mischievous things that they did as kids such as putting mud in the gas tank of the family car. It is a funny thing to think that those kids are now adults who now have kids of their own.

Speaking of parents and children, my wife and I went to the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA and watched the Freaky Friday remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. I’ve said it before, but movies back then are just much better now, as they do not have that social-political messaging and are just aimed at being fun, entertaining movies. Watching it now, while I am not the target audience of the movie, I can appreciate that these actors and actresses are really trying to “act” and not just read lines on a script. Whatever one thinks of Lohan these days, she actually did have some talent and showed some range in this movie. My wife remarked how they do not put on this heavy amount of makeup on the characters, and they look closer to what everyday people look like (not entirely, of course).

As we get older, Father’s Day and being parents take on a new meaning. Most of my family members and peers that I grew up with are now parents, and we can still remember what it was like being a kid and growing up. We can only watch as similar mistakes get made, good things happen, and learn from them.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Seeing a Previous Boss

My wife and I watched the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise – Bad Boys: Ride or Die. While I am hesitant of the constant remakes and sequels that we have been seeing in movies lately, this one was a fun and entertaining movie. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have a great chemistry and know their roles and dynamics pretty well. Martin Lawrence’s character, Marcus Burnett, was very strange and enigmatic in this movie that was really hit or miss. One of the standouts of this movie though was Reggie, played by Dennis McDonald, who had the best action scene in the movie. It was overall just a fun action movie with stars that most people will recognize in a franchise that still carries a level of goodwill.

Besides watching the movie, a saw one of my previous bosses. I used to work for a family-owned real estate company in Irvine a little over ten years ago. It was as an assistant, and it was a full-time position when I really needed to get out of part-time work. My wife and I were driving to a chicken restaurant in Irvine, and it just so happened that we saw an Open House sign from the company that I used to work for on the way. We stopped by the Open House, and it was indeed my old boss hosting it. I introduced him to my wife, and we exchanged pleasantries along with talking about real estate and mortgage as we were the only people there at the time. It was a really good meeting and am glad to have caught up with a previous employer who I had a good relationship with.

The past can be very good sometimes whether it is a previous employer or an older movie Intellectual Property (IP). Some things just stay strong and remain over the years and still provide what you need. Sometimes, we do not have to reinvent the wheel, but look to what worked in the past, learn from it, and make it better.

Tragedy and Life

It was not a great week for us as my wife’s grandfather passed away in the Philippines. We bought tickets a while back to fly to the Philippines this September to celebrate his birthday. It would also be the first time that my wife would be back in the Philippines after we got married, and she got her Green Card. While we will still go to the Philippines this September, it will unfortunately not be for the original reason. Emotions ran high in the last few days, and it is a reminder that tragedy can and will strike at the most unexpected moments.

There is a lot to take in and reflect upon when something like this happens. The significance of life, the inescapability of death, the importance of family, the passage of time, and so many other concepts are brought to bear. It is like a wave that we get swept into with so little actually in our control. However, we continue onward or uselessly despair in the face of the inevitable, and that really is our only options. Despite it all, there looks to have a plan in all this. Without her grandfather, my wife would not have gotten a tourist visa in her teens to go to the U.S., and it would be years later where she would have to renew that tourist visa in order to travel here to the U.S. with me after we got married. It is crazy sometimes thinking how things turn out a certain way.

Memorial Day Weekend 2024 and the Final Edit

My wife and I went to the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana for a date night on Memorial Day weekend. I bought my first place, a condo in Santa Ana, and it was not far from the Frida. We first went to eat at my favorite pizza place, Bari Pasta and Pizza, and then went to the Frida to watch Legally Blonde as my wife wanted to see it on the big screen. Going to the Frida is more of an experience than going to normal theaters as the venue has a lot of character, and the Frida audience is more in-tune with classic movies and movies in general. Watching Legally Blonde, a movie that I was indifferent to when it come out over twenty years ago, is a lot different now. I feel that they just seem to put more care into movies back then with tighter scripts and writing, and a focus on characters without the socio-political messaging that we see today. It was just a fun movie.

Otherwise, I have been champing at the bit in getting The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom out there. Editing has been going slower than I would have liked, but it is necessary to be meticulous about this in order to clean up any spelling, grammar or blatant mistakes. Because of this last edit, I was able to catch something that did not make sense and was able to fix it before the book gets self-published. I suppose that patience is key here to get the best product out.

It was a good three-day weekend, and we had fun. Watching movies, going out to eat and whatnot will always be fun, especially with a spouse. The book is going slower than expected, but it is a needed thing.

Back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and My Old High School

I finally came back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) classes last week, and it felt good to be back. I honestly had my reservations going back to class after being gone for two months due to getting a ringworm outbreak. During that time away, my wife and I got a gym membership at LA Fitness, and it is walking distance from our place. We were regularly getting exercise and able to do it on our own time, whereas with BJJ, it is on a specific schedule. I really wondered if I still wanted to practice BJJ with all the other stuff going on in my life, and that I was getting exercise of a different variety elsewhere. Thankfully, once I got back to class, any hesitation or doubts about continuing BJJ went by the wayside. The cardio that I was doing at LA Fitness plus losing a few pounds probably just helped my BJJ even more.

Otherwise, my wife and I were busy the last few weeks and weekends, so we decided not to make plans on the weekend. We just needed a free day to do whatever we wanted and to unwind, resting whenever we wanted to and whatnot, or going out whenever we wanted. It was nice being able to eat brunch or go to the store without any time constraints. We actually passed by my old high school, Aliso Niguel High School, and my wife was pretty amazed at its size, its facilities and amenities. According to her, the outdoor stadium of my high school could fit her whole high school in the Philippines. Admittedly, it was fun and nostalgic walking through the proverbial “memory lane” with my wife.

It was a good week in returning to BJJ and making free time for ourselves. Things we did were very much needed to be done. We definitely learned the importance of having free time, and for me, the importance of getting back into something that I have dedicated years into.

Comedians and Busy Weeks

My wife and I along with a couple that we are friends with went to see the comedian brothers, Cory and Chad last week. We got free tickets, so we decided to go. We have been seeing comedians lately, and there is just some subject matter that just is not funny to us such as comedy that is just too raunchy. Cory and Chad were a mixed bag where the jokes that really did land were legitimately funny, but they also stuck to a certain joke and gag for far too long. I did like that they paid it forward in taking some local comedians under their wing and letting them tour with them. Quite honestly, I thought some of the opening acts were better than the headliners.

It has also just been a busy week for us. It seems that we have something to do every night of the week with our weekends busy as well. We would actually like to have some days that we just have nothing planned and time to just idle about. However, I suppose that is just an aspect of being married adults in that there are just many obligations and whatnot out there for us. It is also a case where my wife and I are catching up on lost time, in a sense, as we had a long-distance relationship before getting married.

Despite being busy, things have been eventful and fulfilling. It used to be where I would spend weekends with friends watching fights or anime, and it was rinse and repeat the next weeks after that when I was still a bachelor. That is fun in the moment, but it does get a bit redundant, but that is definitely not the case now that I’m married.

Communication and Double Dating

My wife and I watch the reality television series, 90 Day Fiancé, where people from the U.S. find their spouse from another country. One thing that is noticeable about the crazier or more toxic couples is that there tends to have a strong lack of communication. It makes for some dramatic television, for sure, but it also is frustrating to see that these couple’s issues could be dealt with had they used better communication with each other. They do not listen to each other, talk over each other, make a sudden and rash action, or just up and leave when things get uncomfortable, among other reactions. Assuming that these scenes are not scripted (and I am sure that there is, at the very least, some careful editing), this lack of or breakdown of communication is very understandable especially with newlywed couples.

We also had dinner and coffee dessert with our friends, a married couple, the other day. Double dating is fun, especially with people who are well-travelled, mature and knowledgeable. There are certain things from politics to real estate to artificial intelligence that we can talk about, and the number of things to chat about seemed endless. This is not the same as double dating with non-married couples, for example, or even with family, so it is a much different and fun type of company to be around.

Marriage involves two people who need to communicate with each other, and some do not have the skills or temperament to do so in a healthy manner. It is something that is learned over time. It’s also good to communicate with other couples every once in a while, to just hang out and vent a bit.

Jiaoying Summers and Working on The Mustard Prince

My wife and I went to the Brea Improv to see comedian, Jiaoying Summers. We bought VIP tickets and managed to get seats right in the very front. We have been to comedy shows before and do not mind getting called out by the comedians, and it is actually a lot of fun. Most of the comedians said something to us, including Jiaoying Summers, which was a lot of fun. Summers’ act entails a lot of Asian culture and personal experiences with her mother. Afterwards, we did a meet and greet with her where she remembered us and took a picture together. Also, one of the opening acts, a Chinese woman named Bernice, was there, and we took a picture with her as well. She also remembered us. It was overall just a really good, fun night.

Eileen and I also worked a good amount on The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom. Thankfully, my wife is good with using Canva, and we were able to complete a new front cover, and a back cover.

It looks really good, and I am hoping to release this in June. It is definitely a long time coming, as I brought out this book self-published well before it was ready. Now, hopefully, this could find some level of success via momentum or traction as far as gaining an audience.

Overall, it was a fun week. I am glad it cumulated in the comedy show at the Brea Improv to just cap off the week on a good note.

New Car and Clean Pipes

It has been a very interesting week as my wife and I bought a used car. The story behind that day we bought it was serendipitous as we were scheduled that night for a plumbing appointment, as there was a clog in our kitchen sink. The plumber could not make it, and we rescheduled, freeing up time to check out places to buy a car. My wife contacted a small dealership in Santa Ana that was a thirty-minute drive from our place, but the car we were interested in had issues such as not having the full door handles. My wife was in contact with a dealer in Corona, CA, which is an hour drive from our place. He usually closes at night but made an exception for us. A car that we had our eye on for the last week just so happened to still be for sale. Being in Santa Ana and having the time to do so, we drove to Corona. We test drove the car but still had the issue of what to do with our current car during the time. Thankfully, we negotiated a trade-in at a price that we all agreed on, and we are now driving a newer car in very good condition.

The next day, we saw the plumber. I have used services from this particular plumbing company, Olson Superior Plumbing, and knew that they were of high quality. Usually when hiring handymen, plumbers and the like, I get workers who are generally unkempt and just not professional-looking. Our plumber and his apprentice were just the opposite, wearing a uniform, extremely friendly, knowledgeable and actually looked to enjoy the work. They gave us options to just snake the kitchen pipe or to deep clean it with a chain knocking method, and also told us we needed a new garbage disposal as I have never used the one we had, and it was actually blocking one of our pipes. We decided to get the deep clean and got a new garbage disposal.

Admittedly, it has really helped our quality of life having new items like a new car, new garbage disposal, a new vacuum and whatnot. We also bought a new couch as well. It is just material things, but it shows a transition from the stuff that I owned living as a bachelor to this being “our” items, me and my wife. Living as a single guy, I just used things until they were completely unusable even if I were inconvenienced. Now, being married, it is having things to increase our quality of life, an upgrade for sure.

UFC 300 and Vacuum Cleaners

I watched UFC 300 with friends this past weekend, and it was one of the best UFC pay-per-view events that I have seen in years. Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje was better than advertised with one of the best last ten sequences and subsequent KO that I have seen in years. The main event was short but sweet with Alex Pereira brushing aside the ref after a low blow and subsequently knocking out Jamahal Hill. On paper, this was the deepest and best card that I’ve seen, and all in all, it delivered. Sports, combat or otherwise, are all about those moments and being able to experience them as they happen.

My wife and I also bought a new vacuum cleaner, a Shark. It is an upgraded version of the one that I bought when I first moved to Lake Forest, and it specifically gets dog hair. I was actually pretty hyped buying that, and my then girlfriend (now wife) seemed incredulous when I told her about it. Ironically, it really showed our age when we both got excited about buying one, opening it, and testing it out. As adults with a home, mortgage payments, bills and the like, something like a new vacuum cleaner is actually a neat thing for us. When we were younger, it was just another appliance, now, it is something to be excited about.

It is a funny thing what we get excited about as adults whether it is the UFC or vacuum cleaners. Our interests change over time, as I was not always into mixed martial arts, but now, I have trained in boxing and kickboxing and currently practice Brazilian jiu jitsu. I could care less about buying vacuum cleaners in the past, but now, it is a neat thing to purchase.

WWE WrestleMania 40 and Tough Decisions

My friends and I watched WrestleMania 40 at my place, and the ending to Night 2 was fantastic. Cody Rhodes finally “Finished The Story” in beating Roman Reigns to win the WWE Universal Championship. It was a story that culminated for over a year, where Cody failed last year but won it this year. There were callbacks to previous storylines, the use of legends, cliffhangers, a fun yet overbooked mess of a main event, and so much more. This is definitely the start of a new era with WWE with new faces and veterans on the scene. As someone who writes stories, the storytelling has been utilized with a more long-term focus, which I prefer. I am very much interested in seeing where the WWE product goes from here.

WrestleMania was the culmination of an interesting week. There was a tough decision to make in regard to our car, and it really came down to whether or not we should try and tackle this on our own, or ask my parents for help. Ultimately, we decided to ask my parents for help, but it admittedly left me conflicted. As an adult, there is a sense with me that I should handle my problems on my own as long as these problems are within my capability to handle, and only when it became untenable would I ask my parents for help. That principle came to a head when my wife and I were in a situation that we could handle but not without a level of hardship. We went to my parents for help, and now, we are in a much better place. Pride though was a reason for my hesitancy to ask my parents for help. It really goes to should that parents just do not stop being parents even at a senior age.

Things come in highs and lows, whether it is Cody Rhodes’s story or your own personal issues and problems. Asking for some sort of help or assistance is fine in certain situations. Things could turn out for the better in the long run.

WonderCon 2024 and the Continuation of a Tough Week

My wife and I attended WonderCon 2024 in Anaheim, California. We both cosplayed as Pokemon characters – me as Ash Ketchum and my wife as Pikachu, who spent a good amount of time creating the costume. It was fun doing dorky things like that together, and we did get attendees asking for our pictures and wanting to talk to us. I found out a while ago that these conventions tend to be more fun cosplaying than not, no matter how self-conscious one might feel, and I think that my wife and I had a better time because of it.

My tough week continued as far as my health is concerned. I developed this cough and phlegm that is slow to go away along with the ringworm outbreak that has unfortunately went up to my face. My face has this line along my cheek and chin that looks like a big scar or something, so appearance-wise, this thing has not helped me. Thankfully, I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week, but sleep can get difficult with either the itchiness or the cough keeping me up. I definitely cannot wait until these are gone from my body.

The week definitely had some highs and some lows. I am of the belief that some level of suffering is needed to build character and to learn to go through challenges and obstacles, but admittedly, I would like to get on the other side of these health things sooner rather than later.

A Tough Week and Upgrading

I had a particularly tough week last week. I got a bad cough, had a skin rash, and the engine light on my car came up, among other things. We then had a big Church event that weekend, so I definitely felt tested. The sickness and ailments were just something to fight through, as they were more bothersome than anything else. My car was still running, but we are planning to buy a car as my current one is seeing the proverbial tires fall out. I suppose that this is a lesson that bad things will happen, but they are only temporary. Of course, in the moment, it is difficult to have that type of foresight.

My wife and I are buying a new car, as I have had the same car for over ten years. It was the first car that I bought with my own money, so it has sentimental value. However, it has been well past time to get an upgrade. Funnily enough, I upgraded my condos starting from Santa Ana and moving to Lake Forest before I upgraded my car. However, dealing with constant graffiti, a lack of guest parking, noise, and whatnot took precedence over what car I’m driving. Eventually though, we do have ambitions to move out of our current place and get something even better, but that can wait.

Bad things happen, but things can get better. I can look back at my life and see evidence of that. The advice that you cannot control the outcome, but how you react to things is definitely true.

Envy and Perspective

The subject of envy was brought up to me the other day. My wife and I live in Orange County, California, and it is very affluent where I live. We would be firmly in the middle class, but we live around people with money with all the designer brands, nicest cars and whatnot. We own a condo, but it is worth the price of nice houses in other states and other parts of California. I, of course, want more, but do not feel some sort of loss or need to have what other people have. When I was younger, I have felt that way at times, but now, it seems ridiculous to lament what I do not have. I will strive to obtain more, but that is more for personal goals that I have for me and my family, but not out of obligation to prove something to others.

Looking at things from a different perspective really helped me change my mindset. It did not happen overnight, but with age, maturity and life experience, it widened my worldview and allowed me to see where I stand and what actually matters. I see material things in a different way and realize their importance. For example, owning property is nice, but knowing that it was something earned over a long period of time and brought about by good decision-making is really valuable. It is not necessarily the object, but the work done to obtain that object. That, of course, is not to say that I do not want material things, but something earned is better than something given.