9:52 a.m. - 2007-04-25
richer than i understand
According to this website http://www.globalrichlist.com/ I am in the top 1 percent of rich people in the world.
That is shocking to me. Totally shocking. Even though I know Americans are rich. Even though I am more or less well aware of poverty issues, both domestically and globally. It is absolutely crazy to me that I am wealthier than 99% of the world.
Once I pay my bills, I do not feel like I have a lot of money. Like, right now i have 47 dollars in my personal checking account until payday, which is only two days away, but still.
I am really glad that I have been slightly inundated with info about global poverty lately, because it reminds me of our propensity to make the world really small. Like, when my salary comes up around my friends outside of the non-profit world, people kind of gently laugh and look at me with a mix of pity and respect - like, wow, how noble and sad. It's easy to think I'm not a rich, bratty American because i work in non-profit. But then I get reminded of the incredible disparities out there...the people living 10 to a single room, while I am annoyed that my yard is not big enough to have a bigger garden or a dog.
I'm going to hawaii in five weeks and I am frustrated that we don't have a lot of money to throw around to do all of the things in the travel books like dolphin encounters and spa massages and fancy schmancy dinners.
I know this is obvious, but the media is what makes us convinced we are poor when we're not. Advertising and marketing show us the nicer version of what we have. TV shows tell us that we'll never be happy until we can afford to live like the stars, with cars and boats and exotic pets and bling and all of that crap. There are at least 20 catalogs that come to my house each week, taunting me, reminding me that i still don't have a pair of brown sandals to wear to work.
I know that this is mostly about balance. I know people who have these moments of panic and realization of how materialistic we are and they literally get rid of all of their stuff. I understand that feeling. It's a mixture of guilt and wanting to purge and be free. I guess I want to be more productive and efficient with the things that we do have. And I want to remind myself of these things so I remember to be less impulsive and connect my satisfaction in life less and less with what i have and what i can afford to do.
That's all.
