Ok…now we’re going to talk about what defines quality of life in Panama City, Panama. You know, it’s one of those topics well-educated people keep trying to tell the rest of us about, like sun spots, global warming…and human interaction engineering.  Hmmm, I may have to re-educate myself to ride on this train of thought.  Want to come along…?

My quality of life today is based on how well I’m living my life – today – in the company of the humans I have interactions with.  Whomever I spend time with affects my state of mind…my personal infrastructure. If I’m around people who are happy and healthy, I will feel more happy and healthy because of interacting with them. So it is to my advantage to improve the state of mind of the people I interact with… if I want to be good.

A city is socially defined by the combination of services, supplies and amenities it offers.  Yet even more important is the mode in which the people deliver the services. Is the person at the cash register happy or miserable?  Is the taxi driver a bundle of nerves or relaxed and at ease? Those experiences we share with others make up our social infrastructure.  All of us who share this intersection of latitude and longitude share the stresses of our environment, here and now.  Not because it’s our choice…but because there is no other choice, no matter what income disparities may exist.

Progress in improving the quality of life in Panama City is learning how to make things better and doing it…because it’s a good thing to do.  In Panama City, there is room to do some good.