Carpets, Couches, and Lattes

So.... here we are again. I'm writing and you're reading even though I specifically told you that the last post was, well, the last post. It seemed so very final, didn't it? (The title, the teary goodbye.) The dramatic part of me is tempted to let this blog rest in peace, while the more sympathetic and chatty part wants to share with you some reflections on the whole experience. So here you have a choice with very real implications! If you're feeling dramatic, don't read another word ever, ever again. Fine then. If you're feeling sympathetic and chatty, read on! Either one is ok, whatever suits your fancy. Ready, set, go.

This Tuesday we will celebrate our 2 week anniversary of being in the country. I plan to eat a substantial amount of chocolatey dessert while watching cable. And I won't feel bad in the least. And I don't think I will need to feel bad about not feeling bad. You see, coming back I was fully expecting to feel the "first-world syndrom"- guilt about having material goods. But I don't. Not at all. Not even a little.

I discovered something down there, a great secret I will share with you. As strange as it is for me to be saying this in all honesty, the secret is that You don't need an iPhone to be happy.  It's extra. Down there (in the houses in which we stayed) they have running water, food, and indoor plumbing. They have the necessities and God (and each other) and they are perfectly happy. You know what? Carpets are really nice and soft, but you don't need them. Hazelnut soymilk lattes are warm and yummy, but you don't need them. Macbooks are handy and entertaining, but you don't need them. So why is it ok to have all that stuff? Because you worked for it. Seriously. You got a job, worked hard and bought a carpet. Cool! There's an entire nation of people who don't have carpets who are perfectly fine. That's not what life is made of. Work toward ensuring the necessities and anything after that is a bonus. In the State of the Union Address President Obama talked about working to make sure that 98% of the American population has access to high speed internet. They don't need that. They need homes, food, and God. Once they have that, if they want to save up their money and buy a kindle, good for them.