If I Were a Rich Man...

It's Monday morning and I have had a very good night's sleep in my own bed.
I am sitting on my own sofa, with my own coffee, typing on my own Chromebook in my own home. The sounds I hear through the open windows are birds, bugs and tree frogs rather than the ocean waves upon the beach. It's about 60F (15.5C) and feels like fall is fast approaching.

The lawn needs to be mowed and there is a huge pile of vacation laundry to take care of. I took a pork roast out of the freezer last night because there is no buffet nor restaurant that I can just walk into and out of for dinner tonight. I'll have to make a store run today for some fresh produce to go with our roast.

Although vacation was wonderful and I could get used to living this life in that place, this is the place and this is my life.
I'll get out and walk through my town today.
I'll have a chance to speak with my neighbors (maybe).
I'll prepare dinner in my kitchen and eat at my table.

It seems like a pretty simple and humble life...
...and it is -- in our culture.

But to have a home the size of our home for the two of us, to own two cars and a beat up old motorcycle (plus bicycles), to have a freezer full of meat, canned goods in the pantry and the ability to buy fresh produce as we need it, to have internet service at home (or in my pocket on a smart phone) or just to have the ability to be able to relax with my Chromebook or a real book -- is a grand luxury that many do not have.
When it's hot outside, our home is cool. When it's cold outside, our home is warm.
To much of the world, we are stinking rich!

When leaving a normal tip at a restaurant can equal the server's daily pay -- well, it's no wonder they think we are rich!
Maybe it's time that we stopped looking at those that have more and feeling like we don't have enough and start looking at those that have less and realize how rich we truly are. What would happen if we stopped trying to get more and started trying to give more?

Last week I saw a small team of men working to remove a downed tree next to the road ... with axes!
It was 90F (32C) and humid and they were taking turns with axes--not chainsaws, axes!
I saw a man edging the lawn around the hotel walkways with hand clippers instead of a gas powered weed eater.

We (in the US) sometimes view the Mexican people as lazy and think that they come here for the handouts. I think that they are very hard working and come here for the opportunities. I do think that the problem of those that are here illegally needs to be addressed. I spoke with one Mexican man (that has been here legally many years ago) that sees the number of illegal immigrants as an embarrassment to the Mexican people. He agrees with Donald Trump that they need to be deported! Even though he agreed that the Mexican system is very corrupt and getting legal documentation to get into the US can be very expensive, he sees that as a problem the Mexicans need to deal with and correct rather than skipping it altogether and crossing the border illegally.

I have talked with Mexicans (in Mexico) that have been to the US both legally and illegally. I see that the biggest hurdles to coming legally are the money and the long wait. Because there are so very many that want to come to our great country for the many opportunities that are here, those corrupt officials (and they are all corrupt) both accept and demand large amounts of money to move people to the front of the line and process the documents  necessary to cross legally.

The man that I spoke with about the corruption agreed that there is also corruption in the USA but said it is different in Mexico. He said in Mexico it is all out in the open. Everybody knows that it exists and it is a way of life. People in positions of power expect people to pay for service and the people know that to get anything done, it will cost them. The more money you have, the faster you are taken care of. It's like that here, too, but here it is more under the table and open bribery is frowned upon.

In any case...
Today I'm going to chose to be thankful for the riches that I have and not be covetous of the things that I don't have (Except for a bigger motorcycle. I reserve the right to want a bigger motorcycle!).
Be thankful for the things that you have and know that many people consider you to be rich!
And you probably are!

John <><