It's amazing how history can romanticise even the darkest of times. Would I like to live during the Little House on the Prairie Days? Oh it seems so romantic, yet when you really think about washing your clothes by hand, the dust storms, hard winters and having babies without a hospital. It doesn’t seem that great after all. There isn’t a time in history when there wasn’t some sort of conflict or trouble. No, I think that I am truly blessed to be born in the baby boomer generation. Our parents paved the way for us to have a great life. However, I had a great awakening a couple of years ago when my husband and I went on a business / vacation trip to Costa Rica. When we landed the clouds opened up and poured buckets of rain on us and our luggage. The airport was more like a big carport. The resort had a bus pick us up from the airport. We bounced down the bumpiest roads I have ever had the pleasure to experience. As I looked out my window I saw people sitting on front porches of houses that didn’t have windows much less air conditioning. I was feeling very guilty about going to an all inclusive resort while these poor people suffered. After a week of extreme luxury and pleasure we headed back to the airport on the same bumpy bus ride. As I looked out my window I saw the same people sitting on their porch relaxing without a care in the world. They were happy, and they had all the things that really matter, love, family, food and a roof over their heads. Maybe I was the one who was poor, because I had to go back to the rat race that we have created for ourselves. Unfortunately society has become greedy, it’s not enough that you have a TV, but you have to have a television in different parts of the house. It’s not enough that you have a computer but you have to have a computer for each member of the family. The picture below is an example of how people in other parts of the world live. We Americans are spoiled rotten. We live in a fast food society that wants everything and wants it now. You can’t build a house of cards and expect it to keep standing forever. Yes, we are going to have a few difficult years ahead. We will just have to rebuild and make the foundation stronger.Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunday Scribblings / If I had to live in a different time in history
It's amazing how history can romanticise even the darkest of times. Would I like to live during the Little House on the Prairie Days? Oh it seems so romantic, yet when you really think about washing your clothes by hand, the dust storms, hard winters and having babies without a hospital. It doesn’t seem that great after all. There isn’t a time in history when there wasn’t some sort of conflict or trouble. No, I think that I am truly blessed to be born in the baby boomer generation. Our parents paved the way for us to have a great life. However, I had a great awakening a couple of years ago when my husband and I went on a business / vacation trip to Costa Rica. When we landed the clouds opened up and poured buckets of rain on us and our luggage. The airport was more like a big carport. The resort had a bus pick us up from the airport. We bounced down the bumpiest roads I have ever had the pleasure to experience. As I looked out my window I saw people sitting on front porches of houses that didn’t have windows much less air conditioning. I was feeling very guilty about going to an all inclusive resort while these poor people suffered. After a week of extreme luxury and pleasure we headed back to the airport on the same bumpy bus ride. As I looked out my window I saw the same people sitting on their porch relaxing without a care in the world. They were happy, and they had all the things that really matter, love, family, food and a roof over their heads. Maybe I was the one who was poor, because I had to go back to the rat race that we have created for ourselves. Unfortunately society has become greedy, it’s not enough that you have a TV, but you have to have a television in different parts of the house. It’s not enough that you have a computer but you have to have a computer for each member of the family. The picture below is an example of how people in other parts of the world live. We Americans are spoiled rotten. We live in a fast food society that wants everything and wants it now. You can’t build a house of cards and expect it to keep standing forever. Yes, we are going to have a few difficult years ahead. We will just have to rebuild and make the foundation stronger.
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14 comments:
Oh I love, love, Little House On The Prairie! yes, that woul be nice to go back there in time (and meet Laura Ingalls :)
Thanks for you blog visit and kind words :) I like you blog too - I will be back for more reading.
Excellent post. I agree wholeheartedly.
TV glosses over cracks and history books give it us from a political angle - the thing is we're all living in tomorrows history - would it really have been any different for us to live in another time?
I love all things antique, but I would only want to visit the past and not live there. Isn't it awesome that God's name is I AM -- He's always in the present yet eternal.
We can't change the past, but we can learn from it to change the future.
A very well-written and thought-porvoking post especially in these difficult times.
feels like no matter what time we live in hardships are always there to teach us and move us forward. great post!
I too enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie days, see my post. But, I think I enjoy the modern comforts more. BJ
liked your post a lot, I think its time to be concerned when luxuries become necessities like what you have mentioned
Nothing makes me realize how much I have than to see how others live elsewhere.
I have also been to Costa Rica. I went there in high school for a Spanish trip and it was absolutely awful. We stayed with a family while there and they had absolutely nothing to give, but were the kindest people. I got to know many locals on a personal level, which made the trip more enjoyable. Otherwise I wouldn't have liked it.
I would only go back and live as a tourist haha. The whole trip was an eye-opener for me. . . cold showers, tiny & uncomfortable beds, bread and butter for lunch.
We are spoiled and accustomed to the best junk money can buy - sometimes I think we've lost sight of the good stuff - your post surely brings that home. Nicely done.
P.S. You've been tagged. Drop by to see your optional assignment.
Your experiences match mine in traveling to some other countries where the disparity between the wealthy and the average person is great. Your post takes another look at what we miss when we romanticize historical periods OR other places and reminds us of the humanity of everyone.
Wonderfully stated! We all are going to have to look at our lives differently and most of us will have to make drastic changes in these economic times.
The one thing that remains most important is family... enjoying them, enjoying nature, enjoying life... Great post!
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