Another viewpoint

I spoke with a young man from Nepal today.  He was proud of his heritage and wanted to return in the near future to help his country.  He really missed his way of life there.  Mostly he missed the slower paced way of life.  He mentioned that he didn't want to try to keep up with the frenetic workday pace of the U.S.

Among other things, he also mentioned that young people here were on their own way too early in life.  Young people in Nepal stay with their parents into their early 30s.  That way they are sure to have a stable life when they leave home.  The young man thought the family structure and the work world would be better off if people didn't feel pressure to leave their homes at age 18.

The Nepali young man, 23, had already received his university education in his country, but the U.S. doesn't accept foreign university work as a general rule if a student arrives and wants to take graduate work here.  So, the young man was having to start again with his education in the U.S.  We talked at length.  He was good-hearted since he took an overnight train to the earthquake area of Nepal to help people there rebuild their earthly possessions and their lives.  He had already participated in government primaries for elections at his young age.

I try to learn things from people from other countries.  From this Nepali young man, I learned that there was a way to conduct one's life in a fashion that was slower-paced, yet enough to get things done.  And, perhaps, that family expectations about children shouldn't have to be drawn from what is the norm in a country.  I have not worried about that too very much after age 40, but to the extent that I ever did, I have learned that the U.S. norms shouldn't rule my own expectations.