The sum total of my life is being packed up into boxes over the next few days. It's startling how quickly a home becomes four walls; an empty vessel bereft of any personal touches. At 8am I had a living room, dining room and kitchen, by 11am all three were packed up. Quite incredible really, the fact that you can pack your home up so easily and quickly; well, I'm saying 'you' but in fact there are four lovely men busy bubble wrapping my life and getting it ready to ship. I'm trying to keep out of their way as much as possible just so they don't bubble wrap me as well!
But it leads me to think about all of our personal belongings and our 'need' for them. When do we step over the line of making our shelter comfortable and having the necessities, to making our mansions into show pieces. No, I don't have a mansion but compared to many, many people in the world I live a life of consumerism luxury. But people like the Kardashians and Donald Trump certainly do. I'm not begrudging anyone their wealth if they have come about it fairly and through hard work. DickyB has always worked hard and deserves his salary as did my parents before him and many other people I know. Hard workers who do their best for their families and for others. But in this day and age poverty should be a thing of the past. Although sadly too many people work even harder just to survive
The Hunger Project:
About 896 million people in developing countries live on $1.90 a day or less.
22,000 children die each day due to conditions of poverty.
We can't change the world as individuals nor can we enforce people to stop buying into the glitz and glam that is so often sold to us by the marketers and advertising agencies. I'm as susceptible as anyone to a well put together advertisement, to the lure of the 'sales' and 'needing' to get my hair highlighted or nails done. The children in these developing countries would also be drawn to the sparkling new toys advertised at Christmas, to going to MickyD's and wanting the new converse. The thing is though that they can't even afford a pair of shoes or clean clothes, a regular meal or working toilet and their idea of Christmas is a gift box of second hand clothes and toys that they daren't even dream about. Imagine getting excited over receiving pencils and crayons for school. That in fact going to school is considered a luxury. I'm moving onto a new and better life but still I'm worrying about my house being in a perpetual state of flummox; everything is misplaced and I can't use my kitchen for the next few days. All of this makes me anxious and causes me to feel misplaced. But it is a temporary measure for the better good. And whilst I worry about these minor inconveniences there are people who don't even have access to fresh water and sanitation.
Water and sanitation:
663 million people lack access to clean water.
2.4 billion people do not have adequate sanitation.
Each day, nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases
And I'm worried that I can't use my kitchen..?!
But these issues aren't just in developing countries;
"The UK is the world's sixth largest economy, yet 1 in 5 of the UK population live below our official poverty line, meaning that they experience life as a daily struggle."
In fairness the daily struggle that the poor in the UK have is vastly different to those in developing countries but the fact of the matter is that this is unacceptable today. I'm not going to go on a political rant here; I have my thoughts and beliefs regarding our politicians, those I admire and those I think are blinkered idiots. Nor can any one political party heal a nation; team work and a merging of ideas is a necessity but no political party is ever able to support the other or their ideals.
But what can we do to help each other. Sitting at home being a soapbox ranter certainly isn't the way forward, nor is marching through our streets demonstrating at the unfairness of it all; that only costs more money in policing and the ensuing clean up. I can petition my local MP's and try to make a difference within my local community. We need to each become more proactive in helping not only ourselves but those in need around us. I've written many times about 'paying it forward' and I still believe this is something we can all actively do. When I was at home over Christmas I noticed that Co-op had set up an area for customers to donate food; an easy thing to do when you're in there buying your weekly shop. I've also seen that mencap are looking for volunteers to help with scrapbooking; what seems insignificant to us means the world to another. The home where my lovely mum now resides are always looking for volunteers to help with activities and day trips. These are all things that I'm able to and will actually get pleasure from. Yes, I'll still be living in my beautiful home, with fresh food and clean water but I can help even a tiny bit. I can't heal the world alone but together we can help put a plaster over a few of the gaping holes whilst our leaders stop arguing amongst themselves and fill the hole in from the bottom working their way up.
What I can definitely do though is look at my life, look at the world that I'm blessed to live within and be thankful for the major things like fresh water, food, clothes and a safe environment in which to live. I can appreciate the small things like nice clothes, meals out and nice cars. And as I worry whether my belongings will reach England safely I need to remind myself that I'm lucky to have these belongings and a beautiful new home to be moving to.
But the biggest thing that I'm grateful for is my family, my loved ones. Not everyone is as blessed with such amazing people around them. Not everyone is able to show a loved one that they care or miss them, that they are in fact alive and safe. We aren't all blessed to have family that love us.
So as I watch my home being packed up around me, today, I'm feeling extremely blessed.
But it leads me to think about all of our personal belongings and our 'need' for them. When do we step over the line of making our shelter comfortable and having the necessities, to making our mansions into show pieces. No, I don't have a mansion but compared to many, many people in the world I live a life of consumerism luxury. But people like the Kardashians and Donald Trump certainly do. I'm not begrudging anyone their wealth if they have come about it fairly and through hard work. DickyB has always worked hard and deserves his salary as did my parents before him and many other people I know. Hard workers who do their best for their families and for others. But in this day and age poverty should be a thing of the past. Although sadly too many people work even harder just to survive
The Hunger Project:
About 896 million people in developing countries live on $1.90 a day or less.
22,000 children die each day due to conditions of poverty.
We can't change the world as individuals nor can we enforce people to stop buying into the glitz and glam that is so often sold to us by the marketers and advertising agencies. I'm as susceptible as anyone to a well put together advertisement, to the lure of the 'sales' and 'needing' to get my hair highlighted or nails done. The children in these developing countries would also be drawn to the sparkling new toys advertised at Christmas, to going to MickyD's and wanting the new converse. The thing is though that they can't even afford a pair of shoes or clean clothes, a regular meal or working toilet and their idea of Christmas is a gift box of second hand clothes and toys that they daren't even dream about. Imagine getting excited over receiving pencils and crayons for school. That in fact going to school is considered a luxury. I'm moving onto a new and better life but still I'm worrying about my house being in a perpetual state of flummox; everything is misplaced and I can't use my kitchen for the next few days. All of this makes me anxious and causes me to feel misplaced. But it is a temporary measure for the better good. And whilst I worry about these minor inconveniences there are people who don't even have access to fresh water and sanitation.
Water and sanitation:
663 million people lack access to clean water.
2.4 billion people do not have adequate sanitation.
Each day, nearly 1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases
And I'm worried that I can't use my kitchen..?!
But these issues aren't just in developing countries;
"The UK is the world's sixth largest economy, yet 1 in 5 of the UK population live below our official poverty line, meaning that they experience life as a daily struggle."
In fairness the daily struggle that the poor in the UK have is vastly different to those in developing countries but the fact of the matter is that this is unacceptable today. I'm not going to go on a political rant here; I have my thoughts and beliefs regarding our politicians, those I admire and those I think are blinkered idiots. Nor can any one political party heal a nation; team work and a merging of ideas is a necessity but no political party is ever able to support the other or their ideals.
But what can we do to help each other. Sitting at home being a soapbox ranter certainly isn't the way forward, nor is marching through our streets demonstrating at the unfairness of it all; that only costs more money in policing and the ensuing clean up. I can petition my local MP's and try to make a difference within my local community. We need to each become more proactive in helping not only ourselves but those in need around us. I've written many times about 'paying it forward' and I still believe this is something we can all actively do. When I was at home over Christmas I noticed that Co-op had set up an area for customers to donate food; an easy thing to do when you're in there buying your weekly shop. I've also seen that mencap are looking for volunteers to help with scrapbooking; what seems insignificant to us means the world to another. The home where my lovely mum now resides are always looking for volunteers to help with activities and day trips. These are all things that I'm able to and will actually get pleasure from. Yes, I'll still be living in my beautiful home, with fresh food and clean water but I can help even a tiny bit. I can't heal the world alone but together we can help put a plaster over a few of the gaping holes whilst our leaders stop arguing amongst themselves and fill the hole in from the bottom working their way up.
What I can definitely do though is look at my life, look at the world that I'm blessed to live within and be thankful for the major things like fresh water, food, clothes and a safe environment in which to live. I can appreciate the small things like nice clothes, meals out and nice cars. And as I worry whether my belongings will reach England safely I need to remind myself that I'm lucky to have these belongings and a beautiful new home to be moving to.
But the biggest thing that I'm grateful for is my family, my loved ones. Not everyone is as blessed with such amazing people around them. Not everyone is able to show a loved one that they care or miss them, that they are in fact alive and safe. We aren't all blessed to have family that love us.
So as I watch my home being packed up around me, today, I'm feeling extremely blessed.