Being realistic not just idealistic..!
Robert Clements
Friday, November 11, 2011 - Something terribly disgusting is the glamour and glitter rich folk display on Page Three. The money they spend one evening would feed a family a year.
And yet with no guilt or conscience they display leg, bosom and credit card to the world at large and also to those who peek in at hotel window and wish for one bite of juicy steak or slice of Christmas pudding. I’ll never forget Col. Tutton from England, a dear friend of mine. We met after a number of years when he decided to visit India again with Mrs Tutton. We decided to lunch together and I took them to the Taj. “Bob,” he said, “I can’t eat here, when I know the same money could feed those urchins outside. Lets eat elsewhere and with what we save, feed them.”
We ate in a small though lovely restaurant and yes many hungry went home with their stomachs filled. A twelve year old, Christopher Daniel penned these lines in England, where he lives. It was by chance that we were born To plenty in a land of corn. In other lands less favoured by The weather’s hand. It is a very bitter price they pay For want of wheat and rice. India’s northern lands do spread And leave whole villages to wait for death. In Bangladesh, the rains spill forth
And flood the plains from South to North, They isolate the village folk Who least can bear this heavy yoke. It was sheer chance where we were born. Should we not send them of our corn? Sheer chance isn’t it? That we are born into families where we don’t have to wonder where/ when the next meal is coming from?
I am sure you will all agree with the twelve year old poet as he winds up asking: ‘Should we not send them our corn?’ We should, shouldn’t we? But before you shake yours heads in absolute agreement, I’d like to run this little story by you:
A speaker stood in Hyde Park and addressed an audience which was made of just one man. “If you had two houses you would give them to the poor, wouldn’t you?” “Yes,” shouted his single listener. “And if you had two cars, you would keep one and give the other away?” “Indeed!” shouted his listener. “And if you had two shirts, you would give one away?” “Hey wait a minute,” said the man who was listening, “I do have two shirts!” Yes it’s easy being idealistic till we become realistic..!
—Email:bobsbanter@gmail.com
And yet with no guilt or conscience they display leg, bosom and credit card to the world at large and also to those who peek in at hotel window and wish for one bite of juicy steak or slice of Christmas pudding. I’ll never forget Col. Tutton from England, a dear friend of mine. We met after a number of years when he decided to visit India again with Mrs Tutton. We decided to lunch together and I took them to the Taj. “Bob,” he said, “I can’t eat here, when I know the same money could feed those urchins outside. Lets eat elsewhere and with what we save, feed them.”
We ate in a small though lovely restaurant and yes many hungry went home with their stomachs filled. A twelve year old, Christopher Daniel penned these lines in England, where he lives. It was by chance that we were born To plenty in a land of corn. In other lands less favoured by The weather’s hand. It is a very bitter price they pay For want of wheat and rice. India’s northern lands do spread And leave whole villages to wait for death. In Bangladesh, the rains spill forth
And flood the plains from South to North, They isolate the village folk Who least can bear this heavy yoke. It was sheer chance where we were born. Should we not send them of our corn? Sheer chance isn’t it? That we are born into families where we don’t have to wonder where/ when the next meal is coming from?
I am sure you will all agree with the twelve year old poet as he winds up asking: ‘Should we not send them our corn?’ We should, shouldn’t we? But before you shake yours heads in absolute agreement, I’d like to run this little story by you:
A speaker stood in Hyde Park and addressed an audience which was made of just one man. “If you had two houses you would give them to the poor, wouldn’t you?” “Yes,” shouted his single listener. “And if you had two cars, you would keep one and give the other away?” “Indeed!” shouted his listener. “And if you had two shirts, you would give one away?” “Hey wait a minute,” said the man who was listening, “I do have two shirts!” Yes it’s easy being idealistic till we become realistic..!
—Email:bobsbanter@gmail.com
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