Consumed Consumers

A simple fact is that the average American is richer than most humans. But what are we doing with this money? How valuable is our money if we only spend the money on ourselves. I see on the news about how impoverished these third world countries are and the turmoil that these Middle Eastern countries are experiencing and then I realize, what does my money even mean to me. Is it something I use for what I want on that particular day. Starbucks coffee, McDonalds fries, whatever I’m craving. I find that I ask myself if that’s what I really want, or if that’s what I really need when I buy these things. I can’t even begin to size up what I have and what people in less fortunate countries have without feeling sick and hard on myself. These countries need help. We need to be the change and yet we can’t get out of the traps of worldly possessions. We walk in these convenient stores, these clothing stores, and these car dealerships and want more, more, more. It’s hard not to. It seems that our compassion to want to help others is being consumed by our love to be consumers. Our love for buying, fueling the industry, is degrading the quality of life for a little boy who has nothing to eat and nothing to drink but a couple drops of well water that an elder had just given him from a well that was a good couple of miles away. I believe that our money can be valuable, can be enriched if we use for a good cause. I’m not saying that we should all get up and go to Tanzania and write the government a check for x amount of dollars. I’m just saying that we, the consumers, need to stop being consumed by earthly possessions.