Where is my $13 million?

Today at work we had an interview with a British man who we are featuring in the next issue.  I was invited to join in on the interview and it turned out to be more interesting than I thought.  This man lives here in Merida and because of all the request he has received, he has started a web site where you can go to learn languages - the most intriguing of which is Maya.

The interview was very interesting and we touched on many different topics, but one thing stuck out in my mind: the issue of poverty.  While I fully recognize that poverty exists in all countries, here it strikes me as an even greater problem.  I think the reason is that the wealth is distributed so unevenly here.  In the U.S. most of us identify ourselves as middle class and there have been a growing number of people who identify themselves as so.  While Mr. and Mrs. Jones down the road may have a pool and drive a nicer car, they really aren't that different.  Here however, this is not true.  Mr. and Mrs. Gonzalez have at least 4 nicer cars, a huge house, a house at the beach, a security guard and a live in Muchacha.  Meanwhile 3 blocks down the road there are people living in one room houses with dirt floors - or worse. 

So anyways, back to the interview.  Our interviewee told me a fact that he had recently learned.  If you took all the wealth in the world, added it up and then divided it between all of the people in the world, do you know how much money each person would have?  $13 million.  Astonishing, isn't it?  

It really made me think about how greed and selfishness have affected our world.  While I don't really have the $13 million to give away or share with others, it made me appreciate my life and it made me wonder what kind of a difference I could make with what I have.

My Lesson of the Day: $13 million wouldn't be a lot if everyone else had it too.