We live on a planet where, every day, thousands of innocent newborns are thrust…
… purely by accident of birth, into circumstances not of their choosing—segregated into the healthy and not, wealthy and not, beautiful and not, gifted and not, sheltered and not, privileged and not, and everything in between.
We live on a planet where millions of human beings, through no fault of their own, have no hope of enjoying the many conveniences and opportunities that other millions take for granted; where millions would trade everything they owned to have the scraps of food that other millions routinely throw away; where millions are condemned to preventable poverty, disease, and violence while millions of others bask in comfort, safety, and luxury.
And here you are, uniquely blessed and burdened, living somewhere between poverty and affluence and somewhere between helplessness and omnipotence. Struggling to find meaning, peace, and happiness somewhere between self-indulgence and self-sacrifice—and never sure that you are doing the right thing, no matter how honorable, generous, and courageous your actions might be.
Great observations. And Georgia’s and Jeff’s comments are spot on. Most of the luckiest (uniquely blessed) are oblivious to how lucky in birth they are.
Welcome to America!
Frightening to me is the presumption made by many that those who find themselves disadvantaged in the ways you mention are in that position through some fault of their own or through some lack of motivation or drive. That kind of thinking scares me.
Indeed, Georgia. Thanks so much for adding your voice. I, for one, choose to err on the side of compassion, empathy, and generosity… not judgment.
And many of these, at least in my country, sit at the end of a line of generational poverty initiated by the racist practice of slavery and face those in power who would demonize them for not trying hard enough.
No lies detected. Thanks, as always, for adding your voice.