…..it was all she knew. Being without money was all she ever knew. So when rumors started circulating that some people actually had more than others—that their personal possessions far outstripped their basic physical needs—she was amazed by this startling revelation. Why did certain people feel they needed more than basic necessities? What was wrong with these individuals? Could they not harness their greedy impulses? Didn’t they feel guilty all the time? What did they use as their justification for cheating other disadvantaged members of humanity? And she continued to ponder this question interminably, rolling it over and over in her brain as she futilely sought a solution. She was perfectly happy and content living with only the bare essentials. After all, she had entered this world with nothing and she would be leaving with nothing atomic as well. Why did the interval between these two seminal events have to be characterized by a mad dash to acquire as many objects as humanly possible, objects that could best be described as mere rental items anyway? Why didn’t others feel the same way? Why was greed and avarice and treachery so pervasive throughout the world? Her chin drooped and she sighed despairingly. These were impossible questions she knew could never be answered, at least to her satisfaction…..
Fred's Soapbox 