So Much Poverty

[jawanda]

Just got this email from a friend who is travelling around Peru, and for one reason or another it really hit home. I've had some tough shit going on in my life lately, and every time I start to feel sorry for myself I get one of these reminders of just how lucky I am ... so I thought I'd share this one:



"Here in Peru there is immense widespread poverty. There is also great wealth. The two live side by side. Yesterday I walked peacefully through a neighborhood that reminded me of an upscale American suburbia. Large fenced-in houses with nice yards. While in other parts of the same city there are shanty towns with no electricity or running water. Everywhere you go you run into people begging. Every bus you get on there is a kid or grown man telling a sob story passing around a collection can. I imagine that the majority of the rich people turn a blind eye to the poor and go on happily with their life trying not to think of the miserable lives of others. Just like the majority of Americans are indifferent to the suffering of those in poor or wartorn countries. I dont really know where I want to go with this but all I know is that it gives me a very uncomfortable feeling to see the difference in standards of living. Especially when I look at myself traveling around with my surfboard and my Ipod and my nice pack and all, with enough money to eat out for everymeal and rent a room everynight. Im helping out in some way, right? Through my tourism I am leaving behind a trail of cash that will filter out into the community. Am I doing enough? Should I do some kind of volunteer work? Why dont the rich people here in Peru help their own poor. Why am I so worried about poor peruvians when their are also poor Americans?

The economic situation here is bad and getting worse.So many people I meet tell me of their dream of going to the US to work. Here their is hardly any work, even for the educated, and the work that there is doesnt pay much. Anyway, I just wanted to remind you of the fact that if you're in front of a computer in a comfortable house reading this ramble of mine you are amongst the elite in the world. I dont know the statistics, but I know that the majority of the world is in poverty and that huge numbers of people are dying of hunger. America has its fair share of problems but we are very lucky to live there. We are the cream of the crop. Count your blessings."

Synchronicity ...

-Phil

[Webby]

Originally Posted by jawanda

Just got this email from a friend who is travelling around Peru, and for one reason or another it really hit home. I've had some tough shit going on in my life lately, and every time I start to feel sorry for myself I get one of these reminders of just how lucky I am ... so I thought I'd share this one:

Odd there is little.... or nada comment on this thread :-) It's no more than ya would expect.

There are two kinds of people on this planet - the "people" and the "non people" and the name of the game is keep it that way, at least on the part of the "people".

The irony is you can meet some of these folks and they are just so damned generous and hospitable considering the little they have. There are also customs, which, when you look hard at them, they are far more "civilised" than some "civilised countries".

Who knows, but most of this planet have no clue of the other half - they have never visited their homes, shared a family meal or made friends with the "non people" - they are just there as a tourist feature and their countries summed up simply as being "shit countries".

Yea agree - fat-assed Joe who knows nothing of em and contents himself consuming as much shit food possible, has much to be thankful for. Or does he?