Poverty

October 15th was Blog Action Day. Several bloggers that I read participated in this event. Over 12 thousand bloggers wrote on the issue of poverty, in order to raise money and awareness. I did not participate at the time, I felt unable to come up with anything that was profound enough, wise enough, to do justice to the topic. I felt that to force something would be unsuitable. I was wrong.
I now realize that I did not need to write something profound, I did not need to solve the problems of the world. I needed to think small, to keep things simple.

There are some realities of the world that can be too harsh and overwhelming, poverty is one of these. Life is sometimes very difficult, it is easy to engage in a bit of self-pity. Many months I struggle to pay my bills, I have been without a car for over a year, my oldest son has been unemployed for most of the past year, my younger son has no insurance and also has some health problems. When I dwell on these very personal realities, it is easy to decide that someone besides me, should worry about the poor. That is also why I need to keep in mind the harsher global realities. Over 24,000 people died of hunger today, most of them were children. About $40 million was spent on pet food in the USA and Europe today, my dogs eat better than many people. More than 800 million people will go to bed hungry tonight. Over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.

When faced with those sobering statistics, I have to come to my senses and decide to leave the pity party. I am rich, I live in abundance. My awareness can be a catalyst for change. I may not be Bill Gates, I cannot set up a foundation out of my wealth, but I can share what I have. I can support local shelters and food pantries, both with my time and donations. I can share my home, both for a meal and for a bed. I can reach out to individuals, that I know, whose needs exceed my own. I can keep my surplus "stuff" (clothes, goods, household items) out of landfills, by donating to an organization that will give it a second life. I can be aware of the impact of my spending, our consumer dollars drive economic policies. I can educate myself on trade agreements, the IMF, and the World Bank and cast my votes based on that knowledge. I can educate my grandchildren to be aware of poverty and have a desire to change things. I can create and promote an atmosphere of empathy, rather than a culture of hate. I can promote awareness by writing this post.