Luxury from Contentment, sprouted from Poverty

I remembered sitting onto the rattan-wound sofa, with 2 humble cushions in red and green squares. I had the micro Hi-Fi sandwiched between them, having the luxury to tune to the Gold 90.5 FM (Singapore's radio channel for classic hits), with the standing lamp on my left, and the newspaper on my lap. 

And the first article that gripped me is the article about the reality of making the world an eco-sensitive, more environmental-friendly effort being highly panned towards the well-to-do countries. The exuberant elaborative effort to transform the developed countries from industrial-oriented, with cities built in forms of skyscrapers - now being concentrated into green-ery- environment, and all the houses that are built with the concepts of eco-friendly... these are meant for the wealthy. The depiction of the poor countries, third world countries having no place to stay, despite the abundance of grasses and trees and all the 'biological environment' that we so hope to see in a much urban society - turn out to be actually harming their life because of the lack of sanitary and basic healthy living lifestyle. And the unbalanced world view of economic scale is not helping matters as well - in addition to much debates for decades on making a world a better place... doesn't seem to take any effect on improving these marginalized countries (especially when these countries continue to play as supporting roles to the first-world countries by producing goods, manpower resources, natural resources - and these people's wellbeing is not even considered.

And here I was, reading a newspaper having the time of my life relaxing through the music of 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder on the radio channel, with so much comfort in the light of a quite luxurious environment (considering the decoration of the lightings, the soft, the Hi-Fi, and of course, the ambiance).

I am quite ashamed at that time reading the article. 

I often wonder, how much I took the luxury for granted and forgetting the fundamental part about living. 
We don't live to deliver our performance, get well and get 'wealth'.
We don't live to try to earn our effort through recognitions, acceptance and prestige.

After reading that article, after the feeling of remorse, I was flooded by emotions of gratitude.
Glad to have live in the present moment with comfort.
Glad to have friends who enjoy the company without the fear of sudden death or fatal illness.

I think, with that regards, I should never forget a lesson that is aptly applicable to what should be my reaction:

Never forget in the light what you have learned in the dark.
And never forget in the fortune what you have been given when you are poor.

Remember the people in the third world countries, and remember their predicament.
The things that you buy, most of them - came from the hard work of these poor workers working 7-day-shift.