I don’t like living life by comparison: Her jawline is better than mine; their house is bigger/fancier/more expensive than ours; etc. Being a human, though, makes such comparisons inevitable. It’s how we learn about ourselves, by making distinctions. It’s also how we marginalize others.
This little inexpert sociology lesson has a point, and the point is I’ve seen a couple of documentaries lately that really make my little home seem like a castle of safety, pleasantness and wealth. Crossing the Line catches up with one of four American defectors to North Korea who has now been there for over 30 years.A State of Mind follows two young North Korean girls in training for Mass Games, a huge gymnastic demonstration of North Korean discipline and single-mindedness. Finally, the PBS series Auschwitz asks direct questions about how…well, just how. How does something like the Holocaust happen.
My home is comfortable, handsome, warm or cool as needed, and we’ve got a significant amount of property. Each person in our household can eat more than five eggs per month if we so choose. There’s no imminent threat of disenfranchisement and abuse here.
Daily peace in many ways represents incalculable wealth. I am so fortunate.
3 comments:
Nice, Erin. Too easy to forget our abundances. Your family is rich in many, many ways.
But jawline? Should I start worrying about jawlines?
My husband just read a book called Nothing To Envy by Barbara Demick about life in North Korea. He would read aloud to me different parts of the book. Really it is hard to believe that people have to live that way and ARE living that way right now. In the book there is a satellite photo taken of North and South Korea at night. The South side is lit up with dots of light and the North side is pitch black. So sad. You are so right, we all need perspective and we are blessed!
Lisa W—I've started worrying about jawlines lately. Because I invent all sorts of things to worry about. As do you, if I recall?
Lisa@P&C—I'll have to look into that book. I've really been fascinated by North Korea lately. I feel compassion for the people—and I even get where the seed of hatred toward Americans came from—but I'm also kind of terrified.
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