As a news junkie, I find Americans to be a pampered people who have become so used to having the world’s greatest lifestyle they can’t stand a little disruption. Few Americans are old enough to have gone through the depression when jobs were few and growing their own food was a necessity. When Americans encounter someone who lives on the street we think it must be their own fault to ease our minds. Most Americans live in an area where seeing or experiencing a face-to-face criminal activity is remote.

            Now look at the rest of the world. Billions live where food is a luxury. We go to our choice of grocery stores and see shelves full of cheap food when compared to the rest of the world. We haven’t experienced widespread violence since the 1960s while much of the world is awash in unrest caused by religion, race, ethic, political and economic and other reasons. Many people live in war zones where artillery, bombs, and missiles are a constant worry. Over a billion are concerned about this winter.

            More than a couple of billion are concerned about where their next drink of water will come from while the same number is wondering how much of their country will be above sea level before they die. We are concerned about single digit transitory inflation when a billion are experiencing double and triple digit. Not until this month did we have to worry about armed people at polls because some power hungry egoist couldn’t give up his power? Hundreds of millions of children can’t go to any school. Even more are the wrong sex to go past the sixth grade.

            Remember the story about the guy worrying about the condition of his shoes before seeing a man without feet. Billions don’t have feet!