Are we deprived?

Flawed Abundance

“...Stripped of causes and plans,

and things to strive for,

I have discovered everything

I could need or ask for

is right here--

in flawed abundance...”

Mark Nepo (excerpt from “The Way Under the Way”)

Think about this perception of life for just a moment: “Everything I could need or ask for is right here—in flawed abundance.” I know there is terrible poverty, yes. There is very real and desperate need. There is fear for life and limb and for the safety of oneself and one's children. There is war and famine, and every bad thing that could possibly happen to a human being. This is unfortunately true for many of the world's people. But some of us experience the same feelings of fear and lack, where none exists. We strive for things at the very same time that we are getting rid of other things. Westerners worry and fret about money-in and money-out, without comprehending that half of the people on earth live on less than two dollars a day. How very fortunate we are to have what we have, even if what we have is not grand.

My friend, Anna, and I were driving through Mt. Brook yesterday on our way to see a movie. We passed an enormous antebellum-style house complete with white columns across a wide front portico. It was being expanded—new wings being built on either side. Really! How much space do we need for a family of four or even six? I saw a clip on the news last night about some young folks in Colorado who are living on a very small amount of money while investing the vast majority—two-thirds—of what they earn. There's a whole community of them, led by a man who calls himself Mr. Money Mustache, who support one another and share their ideas and discoveries about ways to live frugally. They ride bicycles to work instead of driving cars, and buy their clothes and furniture from thrift stores. They don't buy anything unless they actually need it. Their goal: to retire by age thirty so they can raise their families the way they want. And they're doing it! Which of the people in these two scenarios do you suppose will feel deprived in a few years?

As Westerners, if we are healthy and able-bodied, the only thing blocking our awareness of prosperity is a warped perception that our lives are somehow lacking. It is this perception that makes us feel deprived. All around us life “in flawed abundance” is calling out to us like wild geese flying. We should rush outside and take wing.

                                                               In the Spirit,

                                                                  Jane