I write here at a point where I am in the midst of much drama away from the road not only world events that seem to get to me, but noise from home and noise from employers. I have seen many things in my short life and experienced the kindness and appreciation from people who have virtually nothing, yet would give me their bed for a night rather than see me lie in a road, or see themselves go hungry in order to feed me!
To you I am a backpacker traveling the world on a budget; to them I am a wealthy westerner, to whom they are honored to have in their home, eat at their table, play with their children. I am constantly humbled by how I am treated by the many with so little and how embarrassed I am by the world with so much that I inhabit!
I see the way in which in everyday life families manage to get by making heart break decisions, carrying out back breaking work and yet no matter what stick together and work through their problems! I can’t say the same, nor do I think can the majority of our society.
I know that I will come back and be disappointed by my world and my society; I just don’t understand my world sometimes. I see a broken society that has forgotten life’s true values, its more concerned about being right, being on top and possessions.
What happened to the world of my Grand-parents? It seems to be lost in the western world, but I have found it still exists; it exists in the countries where big business and greedy corporations have yet to get their greasy fingers into the proverbial pie; and lets not forget help fund and fuel wars and conflicts or survive off the back of conflicts. Governments and Charities are just as guilty as the oil companies or the arms dealers of the world.
In financial markets these countries are often referred to as Emerging Markets, my fear for them is that Emerging Markets leads to a death of their culture, society and values!