Dear Reader:

In the title painting above…an artist has imagined what a global village would look like in a parallel life. I could get lost (and did for several minutes) looking at all the continents in this whimsical world.

Jo Dufford tried sending me a video (“Lightning in a Jar) that explained how the population of the world today is divided up (a few weeks ago)…not just among continents and countries…but among wants, needs, and necessities.

It is always a mind-blowing experience to see how life is so different and diversified on earth. Depending on where we are born…our lives on earth can be completely different…as if we were living on different planets.

I remember hearing once someone say “By simply being born in this country…we have already won the biggest jackpot in the world!”

As Jo explained to me what the video was about…it triggered my memory and I remembered using one particular book for teacher workshops… and how it was a huge hit with the teachers. It took the concept of a fictional  global village of 100 persons … divided up the population by wants, needs, necessities, religions, languages, electricity, water, education, etc.

The copy of the book you see in the picture is the second  edition by David Smith…it is updated for today’s population. It removes the blinders from our eyes when it comes to learning how to find our true selves by first learning how to appreciate what we already have.

ETHNICITY:

• 61 Asians
• 13 Africans
• 12 Europeans
• 8 North Americans
• 5 South Americans & the Caribbean
• 1 from Oceania

GENDER:

• 50 male
• 50 female

RELIGION:

• 33 are Christian
• 21 are Muslims
• 13 are Hindus
• 6 are Buddhists
• 1 is Sikhs
• 1 is Jewish
• 11 practice other religions
• 11 are non-religious
• 3 are Atheists

SKIN COLOR:

• 70 non-white
• 30 white

LANGUAGE:

• 17 speak Chinese
• 9 speak English
• 8 speak Hindi
• 6 speak Russian
• 6 speak Spanish
• 4 speak Arabic
• 50 speak other languages

FOOD:

• 30 would always have enough to eat (15 would be overweight)
• 50 would be malnourished
• 20 would be undernouished (1 would be dying of starvation)

FREEDOMS:

• 48 can’t speak, act according to their faith and conscience due to harassment, imprisonment, torture or death
• 52 can
• 20 live in fear of death by bombardment, armed attack, landmines, or of rape or kidnapping by armed groups
• 80 do not

EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY:

• 12 are unable to read
• 1 has a college degree
• 12 own a computer
• 8 have an internet connection

HEALTH:

• 12 are disabled
• 1 adult has HIV/AIDS
• 

LIVING STANDARDS

• 43 live without basic sanitation
• 20 have no clean, safe water to drink
• 80 live in substandard housing
• 68 breathe clean air
• 32 breathe polluted air

MONEY:

• 6 people own 59% of the world’s wealth (all of them from the United States)
• 74 people own 39%
• 20 people share the remaining 2%
• 21 people live on $1.25 (US) per day or less
• The village spend $1.24 trillion (US) on military expenditures
• $100 billion (US) on development aid
• 

If you keep your food in a refrigerator
your clothes in a closet
If you have a bed to sleep in
and a roof over your head

…you are richer than 75% of the entire world population

Appreciate what you have & do your best for a better world.  

The biggest lesson I have learned is how to stop looking for security and seek serenity instead. I have so much to be grateful for…how much I regret taking the abundance I already have in my life for granted. (*Here I was wanting more…and I wasn’t appreciating what I already had.)

So until tomorrow….

“The eyes of my eyes are opened.” e.e. cummings

Sadly but thankfully… I am filled with immense gratitude for Michael Salvo being my lawn maintenance “engineer” for the time I had him.

My yard, lawn, and garden  never looked better. He was so multi-talented that he was able to help me with some minor repairs in and outside the house.

With his tall ladder he could always replace the recessed lighting in my Happy Room which he did yesterday for me.

He returned to say good-bye and introduce me to Jeff who will be taking over for him. Michael and his family are moving closer to their families in Denmark, SC. I will miss him terribly but wish only the best for him and his adorable wife and little twins.

His last act was to finish the step on the deck for me. We will keep in touch and he reads the blog so Michael…here’s wishes and hope for a wonderful new life and home.

Maybe I had that thought about winning the greatest lottery in the world by simply being born in America stuck in my mind …but as I rode around town yesterday and saw homes decorated patriotically and homemade banners from  citizens recognizing our cornavirus heroes today…it made me happy! Gratitude and patriotism on display!

As long as I have my dolphin and HOPE…I know “All is right with the world….the universe stays strong for us.”