Some Perspective

My trip to Kenya is already coming to an end. I have spent the past week observing, experiencing, and asking lots of questions.

Here are some comparisons I have made in my time here. These are, indeed, broad generalizations and are not intended to offend Americans, just to give some perspective. (With that disclaimer... :)

-We (Americans) complain about an hour long commute in our comfortable climate-controlled cars.

-They (Kenyans) WALK, rain or shine, in their flimsy shoes an hour to and from work each day.

-We get annoyed if our shower takes a couple of minutes to get hot.

-They buy and fetch water so their whole family can bathe in it.

-We wish we had more space in our 3-bedroom homes.

-Their whole entire family lives in a house as big as my master bedroom.

-Our kids own 50 different toys (and we buy them more.)

-Their kids don’t even have a ball they can play football (soccer) with.

-We complain that our office isn’t big enough.

-My Kenyan friend’s tailor “shop” consists of a tarp for a roof, his sewing machine and a Tupperware container.

-We are disappointed when the produce at the grocery store is looking a couple of days old.

-They can’t eat the crops they are growing because they don’t have enough water to keep them alive.

-We don’t give much above 10% of our income because we can’t “afford” to.

-They give sacrificially even though their children don’t have shoes on their feet.

Again, my intent is not to attack or offend Americas. It is simply:

1.    To draw attention to the stark differences between the way we live in America and the way they live in Kenya.

2.    To give some perspective.

3.    To challenge us to be thankful for the comforts and luxuries we enjoy.

4.    To ponder how we can lessen the gap between how much we have and how little they have.