July 12, 2022

True wealth

A rich father wanted his son to know what it means to be poor and took him to stay with a peasant family for a few days.

The child spent 3 days and 3 nights there.

Back in town by car, the father asked him:
“And your experience?”

“Good,” the boy replied.

“Did you learn anything?”

The boy then explained:

“We have a dog and they have a dog, 20 chickens, cats, ducks and a cow in the barn. So they have milk and eggs.

We have a pool with treated water where no leaves or grass are allowed to swim in it.

They have a small stream in the forest with crystal clear water, fish and perfect to jump in with rubber boots.

We have electric lights in our garden, but they have the stars and the moon and a bonfire. You can grill sausages on it.

Our garden goes all the way to the fence. Theirs reaches to the horizon.

We go to eat at the inn – they till their fields, harvest and cook it.

We listen to music on the mobile phone they sing and make music together.

We come from school and work. The food is in the microwave. Everyone sits alone at the table and eats.
At their house, mum or grandma cooks on a table cooker. They eat together.

We are, in order to protect ourselves, surrounded by alarm fences …
They live with open doors, protected by the friendship of their neighbours.

We are connected with telephone, computer, television.
They are communal with life, sky, sun, water, fields, animals, shade and families.”

The father was impressed by his son’s feelings.

The son concludes:

“Thank you for showing me how poor we are…”

Every day we become poorer and poorer because we no longer look at nature….