Reality Check

Sometimes I forget how thankful I really ought to be. I complain about making less money, about the expense of the luxuries I enjoy (food, my car, the internet), and about not having all the things I want or that other people have.

Tonight I had a reality check.

I live in a world where 70% of the people make less than $1000 a year, where 850 million people go to bed hungry and where 50,000 people die every day from poverty-related causes. These people are less likely to have access to education or healthcare, and struggle to stay alive.
Makes my troubles insignificant, doesn't it!?

Tonight I participated in Oxfam's Hunger Banquet. It's a fascinating concept and is supposed to replicate the Global Dinner Table. You pay $10 at the door to participate - all the money goes to Oxfam as the food that is served has all been donated by local food producers - which gets you a seat at the table. There are 10 place settings (forks & knives) set at each table, so you're given an opportunity to meet new people. The facilitator at each table then held a lottery to tell you what income bracket you fit into - high ($11K+), medium ($1K-11K), or low (less than $1K). At each table there were 7 people who were low income, 2 who were middle income, and 1 who was high income. And then the meals were served....

This is where there's a catch. The meals were relative to your income bracket. So the high income person got a five course meal (gourmet soup, salad, main course and dessert, courtesy of The Cellar Bar & Grill), along with extra cutlery and a glass of champagne; the middle income people were served a wholesome stew with homemade bread, and the low income earners were served a potato and cabbage stew and their cutlery was taken away.

I was low income.

The experience was very interesting. We watched as delicious looking food was brought out and placed in front of one person. The rest of us had to wait through the first 2 courses before we got our meals. Fortunately, the high income person at our table, was also very generous! Not only did she pass each course around (before she herself took a bite), but she also purchased from the black market (i.e.: a woman dressed in a trenchcoat like a watch salesman) cutlery for each of us who had none ($1/piece). I was prepared to eat with my hands for the full experience, figuring low income earners wouldn't be too concerned about whether or not they had cutlery - but when it was offered, I didn't turn it down either. And so the meal went.

The truth is, I have have nothing to complain about. I have money in the bank, I live in comfort, I enjoy the luxury of driving, I have loving friends and family, and a faith that sustains me. So next time I complain about not having enough of anything, someone please slap me upside the head!