Morning Lesson

I woke up this morning complaining about waking up few minutes late for work.  All my subsequent morning routines were accompanied with complains. The ridiculously bright light coming through my window was not pleasant. Checked the morning news and all headlines were just sad: terrorism threat in NASA, wild fire in Colorado, The Nile Dilemma: potential conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, The world’s oldest man dies  J, probable heavy storm in New York, flood in Germany, UN: Documented killings in Syria rise to over 90,000. Not to mention my puppy Lui, who took the liberty to dance on the outfit I planned to wear to work, with his little muddy feet and the breakfast that tasted dull because the flu viruses decided to disable my taste buds.  

I finally made it out of the house. There I was waiting for taxi to get to work and that morning sun frying my head. A reason to despise life, “I hate this sun,”  “I hate standing waiting for transportation,” “I hate my outfit because I had my heart on the ones I picked out yesterday.”  Then I heard a voice behind me; a man singing what sounded like a gospel.  I l turned my head to see who it was, but there was no one. I turned back and continued despising life, “I hate these dirty muddy floors making my shoes dirty.” The man continues singing, I turned my head again, and I looked down. It was this young man… no arms, no legs… crawling right behind me. I can see that he is homeless, and I can feel that life has never been kind to him. He is singing about the value of being physically complete, being grateful to Jesus and his mother, and he is begging for food and money wishing everyone a blessed day.

Then there I was complaining about waking up late, when some people never even slept, mad about my ruined outfit when some people don’t even have a spare shirt, infuriated with the sun when some people never even see the light of day, irritated with standing for few minutes to wait for a taxi when some people don’t even have legs to ever stand, annoyed with the muddy floor when this muddy floor is home to some people.

Since I intend to keep my blog posts short, I will end here.

Based on one murky morning I declared life as ‘lackluster,’ but my friends little I know this thing we call life is like everything that’s in front of you, if you don’t seek to see it... it vanishes. 

That Paper

I think it all began when our very early ancestors started to realize that their needs are limited to what earth offers. They somehow came up with the idea of exchanging assets for needs. They called it the barter system, the very reason we humans batter each other today. It didn't entail the further evolution of the human brain to sense the pleasure of power upon the self.  It also didn't entail the further evolution of the human brain to learn that power is achieved through the possession of more assets beyond the basic human need. This system then began to evolve from cowery shells to today’s digital and paper money.

It amazes me how we human were dumb enough to give power to a piece of paper, because we yearn for power itself?  It’s like handing a knife to an enemy knowing that he is going to stab you. I still don’t believe how the brightest minds who fought for democracy, freedom, and equality never thought about fighting to decentralize the power of money. 

I just hope someday we snatch the throne from money and begin to appraise one’s wealth with the quantity of self-less deeds.