Welcome to the Neighborhood!

2 weeks after I moved into my current house, I was sitting on a conference call at 8 pm.  I was managing events in Asia at the time, hence the late night call with a country 13 hours ahead.  Since I was new to the neighborhood, I just did what everyone else did and that meant putting my trash bins out the night before trash pick-up day.  However, that evening a major thunderstorm rolled through and the rains were coming down sideways as the wind howled.  So, as I sat on my conference call looking out my front window (because I hadn't installed a blind in my office window yet), I saw my recycling trash bin tip over and all my trash fly down the street!  The first thing I thought was "Oh no!  I don't want my neighbors waking up to all my trash on their lawn!"  I wanted to make a good impression.  So, what does any sane person do?  Oh yes...I ran straight out into the pouring rain with no coat or umbrella, sat the trash bin upright and ran down the street a few yards chasing after my trash.  Talk about making an impression!  All of a sudden I thought, "What are you doing?  What if someone is looking out their window at you running down the street chasing after trash in the pouring rain!"  Helllloooo, crazy neighbor!  Nice impression!

It's moments like those that I wonder, is making a good impression or caring what people think part of my Korean culture or my American culture?  Being respectful of other people and their property would seem to be an Asian thing, but caring about what people think seems to be a more American thing.  So, maybe it's both.  But, throughout the years there are moments where I've stopped and paused and wondered where that trait or condition came from....my heritage, my genes or my upbringing, my environment?  It's the nature vs. nurture question.  (I'll write more about that at a later time.)  I think all adoptees at one time or another have pondered that question.  I've realized over the years that my stubbornness comes from the Korean culture...oh yes!  So, sometimes you can figure it out and other times I think it's a little bit of both.

And by-the-way, the conference call was still going on when I walked back into the house completely drenched.  They had no idea what kind of great impression I was trying to make in my new neighborhood as they discussed future plans.  Just trying to be neighborly...in a crazy kind of way!