perceptions of reality.....

Good friday to you all...and a merry weekend as well ;)

I went for lunch yesterday with a friend (soup pierre. chicken mulligatawny. yumma!). We had a good time but as we walked back to our jobs we got to talking about reality. She was upset b/c she didn't think that certain people lived in the 'real' world. And it got me to thinking...what is the 'real' world really?

I know people who have houses bought for them by family members, are taken care of without having to work for the rest of their lives. To some that may seem 'spoiled' or 'rich', but to them, thats their reality. They don't know a different way to live. Their life has always been like that. On the other end of the spectrum there's people living on the street in some third world country that don't know that a better life out there exists for them. And that's their reality. They dont know any other way to live. Our perceptions of others reality are only in comparison with our own percieved notion of what is real to us. We don't know how they were brought up. We don't know how they got to that point. All we know is how we react to it. And I think thats where the green monster of jealousy or pity comes in. Either we're jealous of the person who seems to have everything handed to them, or we pity the poor woman living in the war torn country. But that's their reality.

Dont get me wrong, I would hope that the 'rich' person appreciates and is humble about what they have and that we should help the poor, but to judge them for it is a completely different story. You only know what is real to you. What has molded you and shaped you into the person you are today. Whatever circumstances, good or bad, have come your way are your reality. Yours and yours alone. It is in how we react and handle these circumstances that make our reality a postive or negative one.


phew...deep breath...