Saturday, January 24, 2009

When is enough, enough?

I've been thinking about the superficial nature of life, mine probably too... the things that people to do in the pursuit of wealth and the abandoned and crassness with which others throw it away makes me question the very purpose of life.

There are certainly those who are wealthy, who have come by it the hard way of toil and sweat, who enjoy the freedom that it provides and go the extra mile to share it too.

I am privileged to be acquainted with two brothers and their respective family's. They live in a single house, built recently with all the trappings of a well to do life style - pool, flat screen tv's, a ten seater home theater in the basement, 5 bmw's in the garage.... BUT, and this is where the make a difference. They have earned their money, working themselves up over the years from nothing to this,their kids are polite, bright, quite, soft spoken, admirable in their behavior.

The family spends a considerable amount of time in charity works

And then there are others... designer clothing, designer accessories, think nothing of blowing to what can be a years earnings in one night spent in doing what - drinking and merry making? Who's children grow up thinking that ALL is fair, that to make money by hook or crook, that hooliganism and thuggery the way to go - The fruits born of the loins of most Sri Lankan politicians and the new rich offer the best of examples

I'm trying to make sense of it in terms of just how much is enough? Home to me is the house that I spent alsmot my entire childhood in - a place that has hardly changed in the last 3 decades except for some general improvements. Recently i plonked down my entire life savings on building another modest house, the one that I plan to retire too. The "maha gedera' passing down to the next generation...

Perhaps with the new order of things we will learn to be more caring, I doubt it, but I hope we do

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