Hard to let go
Good morning, California!
As you might remember, I mentioned that I would be on a personal vacation this week. Focusing on my kids, I didn’t type much, so this will be a short read.
Today, let’s start by introducing Deborah Liu , the CEO of Ancestry. Picture this: she’s sitting in her dining room, cutting something in her hand. Her kids are bewildered by her actions, and her husband has to tell her to stop. What do you think she was doing? The answer: she was cutting napkins (maybe from Starbucks or Subway) in half so they would last a longer time.
You might find this hard to grasp or believe, but for many of us who grew up poor, we understand.
Here is her original post with 752 responses and 76 comments:
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Here is her own comment on the original post of the scene I described above:
"I spent my life not only with saved mismatched napkins from everywhere but actually being put in charge by my Dad of cutting them in half so they go further. I cut some napkins in half the other day, and my kids basically thought I was crazy. My husband basically told me I had to stop. “
My own comment on her post:
“I know what you're talking about. My fun facts in my self-introduction always include: 1. I never took a train until it was time to go to college in Beijing, and 2. I never took an airplane until I came to the USA. I do feel anxious about Money and many things people from rich families take for granted.”
Yes, I had a hard time letting things go because of how I grew up. Over the years, I repaired many things in the house that I could easily have replaced, from smashed iPad screens to broken furnaces. One example is my 12-year-old MacBook with a malfunctioning display, which still serves as a desktop with an external monitor. This inability to let things go or the fear that things could be gone anytime was a significant reason for my suffering from depression. However, after going through that, it’s much less of a problem today. When you read my next stories, please remember my mindset back then; otherwise, it may not make sense to you.
Landscape Architect, FASLA
7 个月These stories remined me of a personal experience. As a 9 year old flying by myself to this Country for the first time from Hong Kong on PAA. I saw a plastic fork on the aisle floor , not knowingly it was a disposable item at the time, I proudly picked it up and walk all the way back to the plane to returned it to the attendant as a favor, To my dismay I was scolded and she quickly rushed me back to my seat. I was quite frighten and couldn't understand what I did wrong and why she was mad. I didn't speak English and she didn't speak Chinese. It was my first time using a plastic fork and had no idea it was a disposable thing.
SVP Product Management Rithum | ex-VP Product Brit+Co | and Founder/CEO Tog+Porter
7 个月Carmen Kiew Like they taught at Science Camp!
Tech executive, advisor, board member
7 个月My husband made me stop even though a tiny part of me still worries my dad will be mad I have given up napkin cutting. We are the creatures of what we were taught and unlearning those lessons is hard.
Sr. Director of Global Technical Operations (CMC)at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
7 个月Enjoy your trip!