* * * My Words, My World, My Way * * *

Please Write: ALewisPDX@gmail.com

Monday, February 12, 2007

It's All In Your Perspective


If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like this. There would be:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans

52 would be female
48 would be male

70 would be non-white
30 would be white

70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian

89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual (and we'd be the ones with pretty drapes, nice furniture and artistically-created food!)

6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth (and all 6 would be from the United States).

80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need
for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following is also something to ponder...
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more
blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are
ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the
world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish
someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare,
even in the United States and Canada.

If you can read this message, you
are luckier than over two billion people in the world that
cannot read at all.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

After reading that, I find that I am extremely wealthy, very well educated, and very lucky. That really brings things into perspective.

Doug said...

That is truly incredible.

Something I find ironic:

"If you can attend a church meeting without fear..."

Most intolerance seems to be promoted by religions, yet so many people attend their church in fear.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this entry Lewis. You're right, there is nothing quite like a dose of perspective. It can awaken our global awareness, and hopefully, in recognizing our privileges, we can put that awareness into action.

Sorted Lives said...

Wow, very poignant post. Makes you think and thankful for what you have.

My adventures said...

wow!!!

Wayne said...

We often think about the inequality we have here, forgetting that compared to the world, we are really truly blessed.

Thaks for the post

Spider said...

I read this last week - really something isn't it - makes one think how lucky we do have it...

Sh@ney said...

Hmmm I guess my only question would be...if they have statistics anywhere close to these, why are we reading about the problems and not hearing anything of a solution? It has always been my belief that organisations (government included) spend far too much time & money on accessing the cause of problems! Rather than getting off the why's & who's (CAUSE) and tackling the how's & when's (FIX) My opinion of course!

JoeBlogs said...

Yes, does make you feel lucky. Theres a lot more we could all do to help others as well.

Anonymous said...

I had to go back and watch all the video's just one more time!

Kevin said...

Happy VD, buddy!

Mwah!
K

Single Guy said...

wow...really puts things into perspective. Happy V day!

T-Bird said...

===>(and we'd be the ones with pretty drapes, nice furniture and artistically-created food!)

Well...now i know for sure that I must be gay!

Tony said...

CRAP LEWIS...THAT REALLY PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE. HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT VALENTINE'S DAY.

Anonymous said...

yes, many of us are blessed in many, many ways. We just need to remember that, and be thankful.

Red Seven said...

Very sobering indeed. Hey Lewis ... where did you get these statistics??