There is a young man whose father is a farm labourer. Till the time of his marriage, about 30 in his case, they all lived in a One Room, 'Thatch roof house.' You need Night Vision Goggles even during the day if You enter the house, because it is dark with the soot of the cooking fire.
His father had given him an Education; the Youth made good use of it, borrowed here and there, and started a small business, and did well. He married a Girl from an equally poor family, and the couple moved off to the town where he had his business, about 60 Kilometres away. Now they have a Bonnie little Boy. Very Sweet. ...All this is a Real Life Example, No Names mentioned, of course.
Now, this goodly couple want to hire a Car if they are to visit their village! This would cost them rs. 4,000, both ways. Whereas, by bus or train, and thence auto rickshaw, the whole thing can be wound up in much less than rs. 400! But the thing is, the Young Man will travel by Car, and Nothing Else. The Grandparents care can grow thin yearning for their Grandson, the little Boy will not have the Pleasure of his Grandparent's company, but it has to be Car. Actually it is Not as if the Young man is rolling in money. He can afford the trip just once a year or so! All this in India. Not in the States where everybody seems to live 200 kms away!
...Poverty does leave a bitter taste in the mouth. There is Nothing Wrong in Earning Money, provided it is not done in wrong ways. A Child of God is Not required to be poor. ...As one finishes one's studies and steps out into the world, Raising one's standard of living, or Earning Money, if You want to put it that way, becomes one's Priority.
When Your Child is Young, You are Young too! Not too old! But as You grow in Age, You are supposed to start Thinking of just How the Money You are earning is going to be Used.
When We start thinking of Our Child's Education, what schools to choose, this and that, We are still thinking in terms of 'Money.' How and how much he or she will Earn in his/her turn!
...But having the Money, What has happened? Is Our Child Eating Well? No, he/she is Eating Junk food. He/She does not Know that there is a Thing called 'Childhood.' Thanks to Our Insistence that he/she Study, Study, Study, He/She does not have Time to Play. Nor a Place to Play. Neither does he/she know How To Play!
Again, We have the Money. But What about the Child's Future? Does he/she have Clean Air to Breathe? Right today We are Buying our Drinking Water. But corporates are buying up whole Lakes for their Bottling plants, for Soft Drinks, for Factories. Will the Child of the Future have Water to Drink?
Money is there, but What sort of Ecology is he/she left with? What about nuclear Wastes? What about... You fill in the blanks.
Having Earned at least some Money, We Need to Shift Our Priorities to the Various Issues pertinent to the FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
His father had given him an Education; the Youth made good use of it, borrowed here and there, and started a small business, and did well. He married a Girl from an equally poor family, and the couple moved off to the town where he had his business, about 60 Kilometres away. Now they have a Bonnie little Boy. Very Sweet. ...All this is a Real Life Example, No Names mentioned, of course.
Now, this goodly couple want to hire a Car if they are to visit their village! This would cost them rs. 4,000, both ways. Whereas, by bus or train, and thence auto rickshaw, the whole thing can be wound up in much less than rs. 400! But the thing is, the Young Man will travel by Car, and Nothing Else. The Grandparents care can grow thin yearning for their Grandson, the little Boy will not have the Pleasure of his Grandparent's company, but it has to be Car. Actually it is Not as if the Young man is rolling in money. He can afford the trip just once a year or so! All this in India. Not in the States where everybody seems to live 200 kms away!
...Poverty does leave a bitter taste in the mouth. There is Nothing Wrong in Earning Money, provided it is not done in wrong ways. A Child of God is Not required to be poor. ...As one finishes one's studies and steps out into the world, Raising one's standard of living, or Earning Money, if You want to put it that way, becomes one's Priority.
When Your Child is Young, You are Young too! Not too old! But as You grow in Age, You are supposed to start Thinking of just How the Money You are earning is going to be Used.
When We start thinking of Our Child's Education, what schools to choose, this and that, We are still thinking in terms of 'Money.' How and how much he or she will Earn in his/her turn!
...But having the Money, What has happened? Is Our Child Eating Well? No, he/she is Eating Junk food. He/She does not Know that there is a Thing called 'Childhood.' Thanks to Our Insistence that he/she Study, Study, Study, He/She does not have Time to Play. Nor a Place to Play. Neither does he/she know How To Play!
Again, We have the Money. But What about the Child's Future? Does he/she have Clean Air to Breathe? Right today We are Buying our Drinking Water. But corporates are buying up whole Lakes for their Bottling plants, for Soft Drinks, for Factories. Will the Child of the Future have Water to Drink?
Money is there, but What sort of Ecology is he/she left with? What about nuclear Wastes? What about... You fill in the blanks.
Having Earned at least some Money, We Need to Shift Our Priorities to the Various Issues pertinent to the FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
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