• About
  • Credit Card Basics
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives
  • Insiders

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Grandfather Says: A Few Words About Counterculture

By RD Blakeslee

Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife

Grandfather says he has been a fan of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, ever since he can’t remember when …

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.”

Grandfather says he hasn’t had much truck with “greatness” — but he knows that to be countercultural, as those men were, is of little interest to those living mainstream contemporary lives.

***

About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian from West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.

Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family

Related Posts:
  • Grandfather Says: A Few Words on Religious ConvictionGrandfather Says: A Few Words on Religious Conviction
  • A Few Minutes With Personal Finance Genius Rich LivingstonA Few Minutes With Personal Finance Genius Rich Livingston
  • A Few Thoughts from Aunt Doris: The Gift of LaughterA Few Thoughts from Aunt Doris: The Gift of Laughter

7 Comments May 3, 2018

Comments

  1. 1

    RD Blakeslee says

    For those who think about genuine liberty and how it could be got in greater measure in ones own life, I recommend considering Henry David Thoreaus essay “Civil Disobedience”, for a start.

    To Grandfathers mind, liberty cannot be obtained by “social justice” political action – It’s obtained quietly, on ones own.

    Anyway, here are a few quotes which are valuable for Grandfather:

    “All good things are wild and free.”
    “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”
    “Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.”
    — Henry David Thoreau

    Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one’s self?
    — Ralph Waldo Emerson

    “A man is not a whole and complete man, unless he owns a house and the ground it stands on.”
    — Walt Whitman, 1865

    Reply
  2. 2

    Codrut Turcanu says

    I like this quote a lot …

    “All good things are wild and free.”

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • 3

      RD Blakeslee says

      You’re welcome, Codrut!

      For my part, it’s encouraging to find folks who appreciate libertarian life.

      Reply
  3. 4

    Carl says

    If you think about it, the counterculture has now eclipsed our way of life. What we call “counterculture” today is actually those traditional conservative values that were around before the “counterculture revolution” of the 1960s.

    Reply
    • 5

      RD Blakeslee says

      Quite right, Carl.

      Unfortunately, the third of the above quotes of Thoreau’s applies today, as always.

      Reply
      • 6

        RD Blakeslee says

        I should add, Carl, that I appreciate your use of the word “think”. I wish I would see it, used as you do, more often.

        Reply
  4. 7

    RD Blakeslee says

    In private correspondence, a friend has asked me if the word “truck” in this episode of “Grandfather Says” is a typo.

    No (but it is arcane, I concede):

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=meaning+of+%22much+truck+with%22&t=ffab&ia=web.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to RD Blakeslee Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Question of the Week:

How old were you when you bought your first home?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • How Much Gold and Silver Should People Own?
  • Black Coffee: Smiling Faces and Reassuring Voices
  • Expecting the Unexpected: Managing Finances When You Become Disabled
  • 100 Words On: Why Buying in Bulk Is Not Always a Smart Idea
  • The Importance of Creating Professional Invoices for Your Business
  • 7 Basic Financial Goals Everyone Should Strive For
  • 10 Key Characteristics of Debt-Free People
  • Black Coffee: Egg Nog and Seed Corn
  • 8 Clever Low-Cost Homemade Gifts Everyone Will Enjoy
  • Grandfather Says: The Story of the Cowhide Guitar

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Occasionally, some articles may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Popular Now:

  1. 1. Sneaky Pizza Delivery Fees Are Here to Stay (and Why It’s Your Fault)
  2. 2. Debt Elimination: The Pros and Cons of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps
  3. 3. Drop the Guilt: How to Splurge Without Beaking the Bank
  4. 4. How to Find a Low-Priced Plumber Who Won’t Rip You Off
  5. 5. 11 Retirement Saving Tips for Twentysomethings (& Older Folks Too!)
  6. 6. 16 Extreme Ways to Increase Your Monthly Savings
  7. 7. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  8. 8. The 13 Most Important Items to Keep In a Fireproof Safe
  9. 9. Be Careful, Priceline Users: Name a Wrong Price and You May End Up in Jail
  10. 10. Len Penzo dot Com: Celebrating 10 Years and 10 Million Page Views!

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Suburban Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2019 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

Copyright © 2019 · Penzo on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in