Skip to main content

How the Poor Live

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”

Comments

Post a Comment

What people are reading...

Lesson from the Hedgehogs

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The hedgehogs, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.
Post a Comment
Read more

Quote of the Day

"Never ask for what you cannot give" This is my very own version of the golden rule.  In this time and age where material possesions have become the measure of a man's success, greed, selfishness and envy have become the main driver of every human dealings and decisions.  "Never ask for what you cannot give" does not focus on material things.  I will not ask for money if I have money to give in the first place.  Look beyond the material world and focus into what matters most -- the abstract, intangible things that make us human.  I am talking about respect, love, faith, kindness, passion, dedication, tolerance, and the list goes on. So the next time you ask a friend for kindness, or an enemy for forgiveness,  pause and ask yourself first before letting those words out... "Have I given enough of what I am about to ask for?" Never ask for what you cannot give and you will never go wrong.
Post a Comment
Read more

Impeachment Complaint Filed vs Duterte

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/16/rodrigo-duterte-impeachment-papers-filed-in-philippine-congress The impeachment complaint filed by the opposition lawmaker Gary Alejano in the House of Representatives today, May 16, 2016, is the glue that pieced together what seemed in the past as dispersed efforts to destabilize the current administration. The opposition would vehemently deny that this is an act of destabilization.  Most of them would say that their mere intention is enlighten the public and to ensure that the truth is known to all Filipinos.  To put things into perspective, let me define what “destabilization” really means.  Oxford defines destabilization as, “The process of upsetting the stability of a region or system, especially of government.” With this internationally accepted definition, I can only conclude that impeachment, although considered as part of the democratic process and embedded within the laws of our land, is nothing more...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Time for Moving On

Life is a torrent of challenges, mini-battles that constantly put our “fight” or “flight” response to the test at every turn.   With every battle we choose to fight, in the end, we always get confronted with this one simple question – At what point does one accept that the fight is over and it is time for moving on? I believe this is the biggest question that dwells in the mind of Chief Justice Sereno right now.   The circus at the Congress that’s bound for a much grander stage – the Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, is at full swing.   It is one entertaining spectacle where people of all background weigh in with their own critical views.   It has somehow turned every one of us into lawyers, well-versed with the provisions of the constitution, even when the majority of us have not even gazed a single law book in our life.   I have only very basic understanding of the law, enough for me to live a relatively compliant ( translation: boring ) life...
Post a Comment
Read more