Mary

- and I saw an indigo bunting outside my window this morning….=)

Your post seemed like a good opportunity for me to talk of my frustration about the Navajo reservation. Now I’m adding people in Mississippi to it?! ack!

I wonder how many there are in the USA w/o electricity and running water? (not meaning our homeless here…)

Yes, to keep it in mind when I whine, too! I have *nothing* to whine about….yet, in my spoiled state, I do…..

Again, thank you so much for this post and your other ones.

Deb who is seeing beautiful morning glories out my library window….no, I’ve nothing to complain about….

To clarify, when I said “But most of us have some food and some shelter, and if you do not, I cannot give it to you in this post. You must go to somebody you know and ask. But most Americans, most of the time, do have food. Our ‘poor’ includes running water, flush toilets, and electronic toys.”

I was speaking to and of people those of us reading this blog- ie, with internet access, and “our ‘poor’” is referring to us- those of us who say we are poor, but are in the top 3 percent of the world’s wealthy because we have shelter, a form of wheeled transportation, a radio, hot and cold water.

Incidentally, we lived for a period of time with no electricity because we could not afford to turn it on.
My husband presented the gospel to a young man who grew up in MIssissippi without running water or electricity- he joined the military so he could send money home so his younger siblings didn’t have to live like that.

And yet, even having lived with no electricity, in poverty to the point where I did laundry when I had found enough coins in the street to pay for a load, and where we actually had times with no groceries in the house- I still sometimes feel frustrated and whine to myself when I can’t have what I want when I want it- and the things I want now are things like… a new laptop, books, movies, and a fancy and new mother of the bride dress.

I’m telling y’all, I do not write these sorts of posts because I have achieved the perspective I blog about. I write them because I have not.

This did make for interesting reading – thank you!

Up until two months ago, I would have totally agreed with this statement. But then it became personal and I found out more:

Our ‘poor’ includes running water, flush toilets,

My son is engaged to a Navajo. She grew up on our largest reservation in the United States. She’s 26. Until she left the reservation (8 years ago) she did *not* have electricity or running water…and her grandparents still do not have either.

I’ve since (to my shame) found out that many, if not all, the Navajo are *yet today* living without electricity or running water. Many have to haul their water from a hole that dries up daily, so it’s “first come, first serve.”

The dispute is with our government. We’re not honoring a treaty made in 1878.

After she told me all this, I listened better. I also watched a man do his season finale “30 Days with the Navajo Nation” (not sure this is the exact name of his show) It was eye-opening, to say the least….

Sad, isn’t it? I’d count running water & electricity as necessities, and naively thought all US citizens had it.

Thank you again for this thought-provoking article,
Deb who has many, many blessings *and* running water and electricity