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Author: enrico | Total views: 122 Comments: 0
Word Count: 1182 Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 9:08 AM

From Rags To Riches- Being Aware Of The World Around You

Looking at the world today it is clear to see that there are so many inequalities and injustices of all degrees, ranging from bullying at school to full blown war.

Since the existence of mankind we have been fighting each other for power, dominance, control and resources. Dominant individuals and countries, enforce their power over the more vulnerable, spreading corruption and violence. Peace has been hard to come by, as people continuously attempt to fight for equality and eradicate issues such as slavery, racism and sexism to name but a few examples.

Human beings have become their own worst enemy and the prospect of ever living in a world where everyone is equal seems unfathomable. The different extremities people live in are hard to comprehend. Nevertheless, it is vital that we are aware of what is happening in the world around us and continuously strive for change. The worst thing we can do is fall ignorant to the world's problems. It is also equally important to know the facts but not to stereotype. For instance just because someone is poor it does not mean they are unhappy and similarly rich does not automatically mean happy.

There are many people today that live in extreme poverty. Large families live in single wooden huts, smaller than most garages in the United Kingdom, with no beds, no running water and no sanitary toilet. Poor hygiene conditions lead to the spread of diseases and with medication being either too expensive or simply unattainable, the results are disastrous. Food for many is a luxury and people still die every day from starvation and malnutrition. Chicken bones that are not considered good enough to give the dogs here would be a dogs Christmas in continents such as Africa.

On the reverse side of the coin, there are a significant number of people who are unbelievably rich. They dine in the fanciest restaurants, live in the largest mansions where one marble bathroom is not enough. They would prefer at least one on each of their five floors complete with jacuzzi and the best bathing products on the market. In fact, for many, one house or one car is simply not enough.

Divisions between the rich and poor have spiraled out of control. At the same time a child is playing amongst rubbish and glass with bare feet another person is logging onto the internet to buy their pet dog a new outfit. There are many people who do not have to worry about money. They can afford designer clothes, not just for themselves but for their pets too.

Animal lovers are going crazy buying the latest Puchi for man's best friend. t-shirts are available in all sizes and can come plain or with slogans such as Little Madam, Rich Bitch, ASBO, Jimmy Chew, Available For Parties, Kiss Me Quick and Does My Bum Look Big In This? Accessorise are also available in the form of fancy collars and leads. There are even dog treats available in the shape of burger and fries and donuts. Furthermore, it is possible to get Darling Puchi handbag and Jimmy Chew toys.

Some people can not afford clothes or shoes and yet others spend hundreds if not thousands modeling their pets in the latest fashions- Parka coats and hoodies included. These lavish purchases may not break the bank for some, however, they do induce many questions over the morality of our world.

People should perhaps consider not overindulging themselves or their pets so much and instead think of ways their money would be more useful. That is not to say if a person has money they should feel guilty or should not treat themselves, after all it is often not solely down to the individual whether they are rich or not. A poor and a rich person might work just as hard as one another, yet their wage depends a lot upon the economy, wealth and corruption of their county of habitation. Nevertheless, for those fortunate to have enough spare cash it should not be spent on fickle fads. There are so many projects around the world that are crying out for volunteers and rely heavily on donations. Orphanages, care centres, woman's refuges and schools are some of the places that could benefit from and appreciate money far more than your pooch will from his new army uniform.

There are people in the world who do not know when their birthdays are or how old they are. They may have been orphaned or abandoned before ever being told. However, in America they have created a programme called "My Super Sweet Sixteen", which features the lavish gifts and parties of people "coming of age" in style. One girl was bought a 67,000 Dollar Lexus, showing her thanks by screaming that her mum had "ruined her life" because she had given her the gift before her party. The words spoilt and ungrateful come to mind, I refrain from using the words "privileged" or "lucky", because is it "lucky" or a "privilage" to be turned into a brat? The appalling behaviour of this birthday girl leaves us to question what it means to be fortunate in some way.

There are many different levels of being privileged. Someone may feel blessed because they have parents that are not suffering from HIV/AIDS, another person may be grateful to have escaped physical or sexual abuse. Alternatively, a graduate may feel proud on graduation day and a teenager bought lavish gifts may be thankful. It often depends on the circumstances of our individual lives and our characters, as to why we may or may not appreciate certain things. However, we should take a moment to think about the things we do have and not take anything in life for granted.

In the UK today science techniques have been developing rapidly and off the back of new discoveries have come possibilities such as that of designer babies. Many people like the idea of being able to chose certain characteristics of their next child. The wonder is, that whilst decisions are being made by future parents over which hair or eye colour would be preferred, other parents are praying that their baby will not be born with HIV like their mother. Surely a child free of illness or disability is what is important rather than paying so much attention on body beautiful ideas. There needs to be some return to reality and quickly otherwise where will the line be drawn? Will babies begin to have cosmetic surgery at the request of dissatisfied parents?

There is no escaping that the world we live in today suffers from incredible inequalities. However, we can all help the situation by being aware of what is happening around us and trying to help where we can. It is important to keep a check on reality and not get caught up in superficial trends and worrying scientific advances that may and do develop.