While most people are doing their best to work multiple jobs in a day to earn honest money, some people still settle on scamming (诈骗) others just to have instant cash. However, one scammer called the wrong person when he dialed Jean Ebbert’s number. The 73-year-old woman from New York may be in her senior years, but she is surely one tough lady who used to be a 911 call operator.

Her previous line of work has trained her to be a fast thinker and quick on her toes. When she received that call from someone claiming to be her grandson, she knew instantly that she was talking to a scammer.

According to the caller who was even crying at the time, he was Jean’s grandson who had gotten arrested due to drunk driving and now needed money to get out of prison. Ridiculously, Jean had no grandson who drives. However, knowing that the man could easily find another person to trick if she dropped the call, Jean decided to play along so the person on the other end of the line could get what he deserves.

“So I played the game. And then I said to him, ‘Listen! Don’t call your mother, or she’s going to be mad. Let me handle this,’” Jean recalled.

Eventually, the scammer passed the phone to his “lawyer” who then told her that her grandson needed $8,000 to be set free. Jean knew better of the situation and continued with her act, instructing the caller to visit her home address to get the money he needed.

Moments later, the doorbell rang and Jean rose to her feet and opened the door. In front of her stood a tall young man, who claimed himself to be her grandson’s lawyer and asked for the cash that had been promised to him. Jean had already laid a trap for him. The instant the scammer came, he was greeted by the two policemen waiting inside Jean’s home.

My wife and I recently completed a day-long tour of the Great Wall with Jessie. In addition to being very knowledgeable about the history of the areas that we toured, she spoke excellent English and was able to answer all of our questions. Her driver was very experienced and polite, and we really enjoyed being able to have a customized tour that avoided the tourist traps and forced shopping that seem to be a part of the larger group tours.

The attractions themselves were fantastic. I was a little worried that the snowy weather might impact our trip to the Great Wall, but everything went fine, and there weren’t many people out at all that day. I suggest wearing strong shoes—the Great Wall is really a hike. And in snowy or rainy days, the surfaces are pretty slippery (滑的)! Seeing this area in winter was really unique, and the snow made for great pictures. Jessie kept us entertained with stories and facts about the construction of the Wall, and always pointed out great spots for taking pictures. Even though she’s in fantastic shape, she cared about our level of fitness and often stopped to let us catch our breath.

When we got back to our hotel, Jessie gave us a great recommendation for dinner and some tips for our planned stops the next day. If I find myself in Beijing in the future, I will certainly be contacting Jessie for more tour opportunities, and I’ve already recommended her to some friends who are visiting the area later in the year. I can’t say enough about how kind and knowledgeable she was, and she really gave us a great tour experience.

On my 70^th birthday, in September 2019, I decided to participate in 70 different sports before I turned 71. The motivation? Simply to have some fun. Athleticism, after all, does not end at some arbitrary (任意的) age.

Shortly after my 70^th birthday, I took a crack at paddle-boarding. Family members were greatly entertained, watching me first try to get on the board, then stand on the board and finally fall into the water before trying all over again. Lesson learnt: Perseverance pays off. Eventually I stood, I balanced and I paddled. An early success.

Winter sports brought their own challenges. A pick-up game of hockey resulted in the odd collision. The quality of play was hardly inspirational, but it was certainly fun. Then came the attempt to teach myself the basics of figure skating. It left me falling flat on the ice, my elbow and knee aching. I refused to give up. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, which I called self-discipline.

However, the outbreak of COVID-19 shut down most of my city, which became a setback to my 70-at-70 goal. By then I had tried nearly 35 sports. Individual sports would have to be the order of the day: Running, jumping, walking. For track, I built my own high jump and hurdles. Athletics does not have to be complicated.

There were some health advantages, too, to all the exercise I was getting. Each activity triggered endorphins that brought an immediate high. Over the longer term came the realisation that dreams are important, regardless of how far-fetched or unrealistic they might seem. As youngsters we dream of playing in the big leagues or participating in the Olympics. As we age, our hopes and dreams change, but one should never let them disappear. We need something to look forward to; what’s better than to wake up each morning knowing there is a game to play?