What a gift
A few years ago, I had a friend in my church singles class who, while still in her twenties, decided to work for the Peace Corp.
Now one of the things I envied about her two year service, besides getting to live over seas, learn a new language, and give back to the world in a deep and meaningful way, not to mention learn from a different way of thinking, (non western), was that she sold EVERYTHING she owned before she left.
No sense in paying for storage of it, because she couldn't afford too.
(They don't pay all that much for charity work in "third world" countries. By the way, she went to the former Soviet block.)
I have many times flirted with the idea of "having nothing" but that which was Neccessary.
And to think long and hard before I "brought something home".
When she returned, she shared with us that she would not buy anything that she did not need, and that she had not already decided in her mind where it would live and what it should be.
To design her life around what she valued.
*********
The media keeps harping on how the Hurricane "victims" have "lost everything".
Unless they were killed, they didn't "loose" everything. And if they did die, they don't care anymore.
They didn't loose their American citizenship.
Or their right to free speach.
They haven't lost their freedom to express themselves, or live where they want, even if it is below sea level along the coast.
They aren't locked up.
The government, no matter what some political agenda's may be pushing, IS NOT trying to kill them.
What they did loose was their STUFF.
Which I could see would deeply frighten those who do have STUFF.
Not to mention those whose lively hoods are focused around SELLING us that stuff.
Namely, the media.
We so completely define who we are in this country by what we own.
These folks will experience a freedom few of us have.
To be able to start over and redefine themselves, albeit, via NEW STUFF.
I would love to have only what I wanted, instead of what was given me.
To be free of the things that "own me".
Let's hope we can see this in a positive light.
Now one of the things I envied about her two year service, besides getting to live over seas, learn a new language, and give back to the world in a deep and meaningful way, not to mention learn from a different way of thinking, (non western), was that she sold EVERYTHING she owned before she left.
No sense in paying for storage of it, because she couldn't afford too.
(They don't pay all that much for charity work in "third world" countries. By the way, she went to the former Soviet block.)
I have many times flirted with the idea of "having nothing" but that which was Neccessary.
And to think long and hard before I "brought something home".
When she returned, she shared with us that she would not buy anything that she did not need, and that she had not already decided in her mind where it would live and what it should be.
To design her life around what she valued.
*********
The media keeps harping on how the Hurricane "victims" have "lost everything".
Unless they were killed, they didn't "loose" everything. And if they did die, they don't care anymore.
They didn't loose their American citizenship.
Or their right to free speach.
They haven't lost their freedom to express themselves, or live where they want, even if it is below sea level along the coast.
They aren't locked up.
The government, no matter what some political agenda's may be pushing, IS NOT trying to kill them.
What they did loose was their STUFF.
Which I could see would deeply frighten those who do have STUFF.
Not to mention those whose lively hoods are focused around SELLING us that stuff.
Namely, the media.
We so completely define who we are in this country by what we own.
These folks will experience a freedom few of us have.
To be able to start over and redefine themselves, albeit, via NEW STUFF.
I would love to have only what I wanted, instead of what was given me.
To be free of the things that "own me".
Let's hope we can see this in a positive light.
posted by karlthebunny at 6:38 AM
4 Comments:
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Just don't lose sight of this: Many did, however lose their family, their pets, their shelter, their food and their water - the very basics; not to mention their livelihood - for what it may have been worth. A lot of the now-homeless and hopeless didn't have enough "stuff" to get along in the first place, and probably wouldn't define their existence in "stuff" terms. That's why they stayed. That said, many should have and could have evacuated. Perhaps slightly less compassion is in order for those who had the choice but elected to stay. My good friend Nancy in college (another Peace Corps volunteer) could fit everything she owned in her VW Bug - that was my benchmark for a long time. Now I find myself saddled with too much stuff, like Bunny. Undoubtedly I give the stuff too much credit for it's emotional value...oh well. As long as we have those who love us, and some shelter, we know we'll survive. Aren't we lucky, indeed?! Side note: No criticism of any aid efforts here. All are doing the best they can. April
I'm not trying to down play the suffering.
My friend made the choice to let her stuff go.
These folks, given the choice, would have declined.
I am tired of the Media and it's attempt to sell this in a way that they don't when it's a group of Africans or South Americans, or even Palistinians.
I keep hearing about New Orleans who could have left and were impacted by a levy break. And a Mayor who got caught with his pants around his ankles.
I don't hear as much about Mississippi which had whole areas scraped off the face of the earth.
They aren't crying "foul".
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