Friday, May 14, 2010

I'm RICH!!! I'm RICH!!!

We always gaze longingly at the rich...
Their clothes, cars, homes, vacations...
For me, its the things they're able to accomplish with their money (Angelina Jolie)

Sometimes we feel we're the minority because our lack of wealth.
I found something to put it into perspective for us.
We are in the minority.
Not because of our lack of wealth,
but because of our plenty.

Globally, I am in the priviledged minority.


Click on the box on the right to find out how rich you are.  Richer than you think, I bet.

Richer and hopefully ready to give some of your newly found wealth to those who need it most. 
All you have to do is make a choice.

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

I am most certainly not what 'most' would consider wealthy.  We live paycheck to paycheck.  We seldom have money to go places we'd like to go.  But we do have plenty. 
Plenty of food.  Plenty of clothes.  Plenty of warm blankets.  Plenty of shoes. 
There are times when I literally lay my head on my pillow at night, snuggle into my soft bed, pull my warm covers up to my chin and feel horrilby guilty, all because I can.
Because I can sleep in a soft bed, pillow under my head, warm blankets covering me, full stomach, kids tucked in, feeling safe and sound, a job to get up for... and because I know that isn't the case for everyone.
There are times when I crave a Hard**'s Hand Dipped Chocolate Milkshake,
and I feel guilty because I can just drive over there and get one.
If I feel like lasagna, I make lasagna for supper.
Grilling hamburgers, done.
I don't have to wait for someone to come dole out my daily bowl of cornmeal.
I know how ice cream tastes.
I know what chocolate is.
I know what oreo's are.
I am so spoiled.
And RICH

1 comment:

Annie said...

Thank you- Yes! You are so right! We have all the comforts most humans in the world will never have. If it is a little cold- we turn up the heat, if it is a little warm- we turn down the air, if we are hungry- we eat, if we are thirsty- we drink, dirty- we wash, and the list goes on. Not to mention the house, clothing, cars, opportunities. We are rich and we should never take it for granted. Give to others of our wealth!