Did you ever think about the questions we ask during our daily lives that millions of other people on the planet may never get to ask?
I remember having these conversations with my sons when they were children. My hope (and that has been realized) was that when they became men, and were making their way in the world, that they would not take for granted the many blessings of living in the first of First World countries.
If having so much does not produce a generous heart, one needs to do some serious soul searching. So as I proposed to my boys so many years ago, I propose now, including a new thought or two, just a couple of the questions that so many will never get to ask. I invite you to chime in with more under the comments section.
Where do you want to eat tonight?
There are multiple millions around the world who will never ask that question. “Do you think we will eat tonight?” is more than likely the inquiry.
What are you going to wear to the party on Saturday?
I’m not a sophisticated or stylish clothing person. My son Adam used to tell me my outfits were so similar I was like a cartoon character that never appeared in anything varied. But even with my limited tastes and variety, my closets and drawers are full of shirts, jackets and pants that would make many in the world think I live like a king. There are people whose relationship to clothing is wearing what they have until it literary turns to shreds on their bodies.
Who are you voting for in the next election?
There are handful of countries that hold no elections at all and several more where the process is a total sham. The net effect is millions of people will never have the opportunity to have a say about their own destinies by picking their leaders.
Where are we going next vacation?
Many people in our own country have never been able to ask this question, let alone the hundreds of millions who have never and will never experience such a thing as a family vacation.
What is the WiFi code?
As someone who has been annoyed because a fast food joint has no working Internet, I can just imagine, even with the growing access to The Web worldwide, for how many millions this is just not a question they ever ask.
I don’t think this should be the cause of guilt as much as it should give us an attitude of gratitude; a gratitude that should compel us to be ever alert for the opportunity to help others and share some of our good fortune.
We should never take the quality of our lives for granted.