Many of us have lived lives where we've had to suffer materialistically, financially and many other ways so are well aware of hard lives.. not however the lives that some suffer in the 3rd world... I'm going to pass this on to you, even tho' I am highly embarrassed , and rightly taken to task for it by my own husband .....but first of all I must tell you that I had a very bad start in life, and everything I have today took forever and a day to achieve with sheer hard work, sweat and many tears.. A few days ago hubs and I were in a high end supermarket..somewhere we regularly shop. We were looking at smoked salmon which we buy often .. and I wanted some Blini's hich are sold in packs next to the smoked fish ( Russian pancakes for those who don't know)... .. they're usually the size of the palm of your hand but I could only find little tiny ones the size of a penny.. There were some elderly ladies also looking at the ''reduced fish'' next to me..and as my husband sidled up to me I said to him '' oh haven't they got any bigger Blini's than this, these are so fiddly to eat''... and he glanced over at the elderly ladies and quietly whispered in my ear...'''first world problem''.. he was so right.. how could I ever just take things for granted like that.?
When you have been to third-world nation, I think you develop an appreciation of what we have and how we live. Some people just use it to look down upon the less-developed world. I think all worlds--first, second and third worlds--can learn from each other.
Ive always lived a fairly easy and comfortable life but Ive seen and know people in Hungary and Romania that had nothing....what amazed me was how eager they were to share what little they had with me. Inviting me for a meal which I knew was going to put them behind. Now, I do know that my comfortable life is because of my kids generosity and I don't take that for granted at all.
@Holly Saunders @Don Alaska It never ceases to amaze me as I walk the aisles of a large supermarket-type grocery store, that both sides of an entire aisle, that being quite long, perhaps 80 feet or so, are devoted to.......Pet Foods! One side is exclusively cats, the other dogs. A bewilderingly large selection of different names and types, replete with pictures and descriptive phrases denoting flavors, textures, content, etc. A Third-World resident having any negative resolve at all towards American Culture, smoldering perhaps a bit in envy, might well be astounded that our culture is so wealth-infused that we may treat our animals like Kings! Frank
Their generosity is a credit to you, as a mother. It doesn't flow in only one direction. Not everyone has children who care about anyone other than themselves, so this also means that you did something right. Most of the pet foods in a grocery store aisle are junk too, so besides the pet food aisle in the grocery store, there are entire stores devoted to the better foods that can be found for pets.
In that situation, I would not give it a second thought. I'm often one of those frumpy old people eyeing the shriveled up mushrooms, marked down meat, day-old bread, etc... I used to wrestle with myself and try to decide if I should leave those items for people who really need a bargain but over time I've watched well-dressed people select the very best and pay for it with a public assistance benefit card. Don't be ashamed of your good fortune, buy what you need/want and help where you can.
In America we have too many choices...and in other countries there is seldom much of choice..if at all.
A number of years ago, I saw an episode of some day time talk show which was perusing the topic of welfare and other programs versus work. A panel of welfare people were touting the assets of being on government assistance because they didn’t have to work and the money they were given was actually more than they could make in positions that they had been offered. To me, the largest problem with living in a first world condition is having a first world mentality in relation to work. When people refuse to accept gainful employment simply because it is somehow beneath what they believe they are qualified for and or worth is totally egocentric bridging upon stupidity. So many jobs sit and wait for someone willing to do them because the majority of Americans with their first world mentality will not even think about doing them. People with engineering degrees would rather do nothing than wash dishes at a restaurant whilst waiting for a better opportunity. Some folks, when they lose a job that paid x amount of money will not accept a position, even temporarily, for less than they were making. My own thinking is: If I cannot afford to put potatoes on my plate, it’s time to go to work on a potato farm.
Brother Dave Gardner, a rather racist southern comedian of the 60’s, once told a story about a southern fellow who journeyed to a large city looking for work. He had heard about the wealth that was to be had in the city and whilst walking about he spotted a dollar bill which had been lodged among the leaves in a tree that was one of many lining the boulevard. He looked at it for a few moments then smiled and said to himself, “yup, it really does grow on trees and I’ll be back to pick you later when the tree grows a few more”. The first world thought is that indeed, money is to be had anywhere and everywhere and instead of seizing an opportunity when it comes along, will wait for something better. One other story I do have whilst I am thinking about it is a conversation I was having with a fellow chef who was from Kenya. We were walking outside the restaurant and I bent over and picked up a penny from the parking lot and put it in my pocket. He looked at me rather strangely and commented that I was the first American he had seen who would bother himself with a penny. He further stated that where he was from, picking up a small amount of money, no matter how small or what side was showing, it was still considered a blessing from God.
I will never be too fat, too old, too rich or too proud to bend down and pick up a penny from heaven!
Hope I don't get blasted for this but I hate pennies and all change. It weighs my purse down...I have lots of change piling up at home....I'm not going to roll it. I'm far from rich but I'm comfortable....when I do pay with cash at the supermarket if I get change back I donate it to whatever cause they're collecting for. Only time I really used change was when I was low on dough and I needed to get enough together for a pack of cigarettes...those days are long gone.