2017 was the best year in human history. Fewer people were hungry, impoverished or illiterate. Fewer children died than ever. Every day the number of people living around the world on less than $2 a day goes down by 217,000. Every day 325,000 more people get electricity and 300,000 get clean drinking water.
As recently as 1960, the majority of humans had always been illiterate and in extreme poverty. It was the norm. Now fewer than 15% are illiterate and less than 10% live in extreme poverty. In 15 years, both will mostly be gone. After thousands of years, they are pretty much disappearing on our watch.
I feel great about that and lucky to be alive as it is happening.
How about you?
I have mixed feelings. A week ago I came back to America from my birth country (Romania) which for a long time was a communist corrupt country. The technological advancements are undeniable. There are a multitude of fancy new buildings being raised. Old buildings are renovated. The traffic flow and management are constantly upgraded. The advancements are great but the problems is that people forget or they (the younger generation) do not really appreciate or know how fortunate they are.
During my stay I did my best to drive my mom around because she does not drive. We visited the supermarkets many times. She picked up on my resentment and told me ‘You can’t be this sensitive, you need to learn to be like the others’.
I said Mom, there is nothing wrong with me. I just know how bad all these artificial perfumes and deodorants you spray around you are. (I studied the sciences, bio-chemistry, anatomy, physics, psychology…) You inhale the fumes of hairspray, the air fresheners, your skin and lungs absorb the chemicals and than you wonder why you got a headache or why you develop all sorts of health problems. Whats more, no one seems to care where the garbage goes. My Mom asked, Why do you care about that? Because I know that for a long time they buried the garbage underground and I read many articles about the garbage islands floating in the middle of the oceans. I care because it directly affects me, my life and my environment. That is one of the reasons I try to watch what and how much I consume. I know I am fortunate to have fresh food and shelter above my head. I also know that consuming equals expenses. The more I consume the higher my expenses are.
I am happy that I am alive and I felt great especially yesterday as I read all your individual post the way you contribute and try to make a difference in this world.
Thank you for fighting.
We truly are blessed to live in this age Larry. One example that we are getting better and living at an amazing time happened just yesterday. My daughter has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and is having stomach issues due to a compromised feeding tube location. We learned yesterday that she needed a specific surgery that had only been completed seven times and there was only one Dr in world who performed this surgery and he was working at our hospital, Johns Hopkins. Amazing times for sure.
Great change is made possible wen every one does dear part its a blessing for me to be a witness of this in hundreds of families we work with, some time it can take as long as 10 years of daily work to be successful both when one family that 5 years ago didn’t have electricity both now they are installing the electric post in front of dear home it bring joy to see the expectation in dear faces.