Times are tough all over

Im still kind of buzzing from my talk with my kids yesterday.  Max sent me a video from a magic show he performed for his class.  I was so proud of him.  He is an entertainer.  He was pretty good too.  What makes me sad about being over here is noticing how much he’s changed in just 6 months.  That is one of the downsides of being here.  I miss that daily interaction.  But it was my choice being here…so im not blaming God.  I planned my way…God directed my steps.  I still feel like Im supposed to be here 100%.  Im able to help so many people.  I was talking with Max about this yesterday.  I have friends here from over 30 different countries.  I don’t have a lot of American friends.  That is fine by me, I have plenty in the U.S.  It was interesting talking with the South African…a white guy bagging on the U.S.  It’s a weird sensation having someone the color of my skin, not hold the same patriotic allegiances.    

I feel my life is balanced.  What I don’t have though is a lot of friends my age.  Most of my pals are in their 20’s.  They all think of me as their age too.  Maybe its just the non-married people that congregate together.  And the married folks are forced to have “couple” friends.  There is nothing wrong with that.  I think its highly inappropriate for a married woman to be friends with a single man, that’s like a hornet’s nest ready to explode.  I speak from experience being on the wrong side of that one.  

The financial crisis is hitting closer to home.  We at KSDi are just trying to survive this.  I think we can.  But its difficult.  I think we have the right products to make it through but it’s a guessing game.  I haven’t been a GM before, but being a producer I have the same sort of short-term skills.  With this Im trying to build for the future. 

I didn’t have anything to do tonight.  It was really strange.  Part of being alone used to really freak me out, being a weeknight and nothing to do.  But im getting more and more comfortable with myself.  I was tempted to go see a movie, but then I thought I don’t want to see a movie.  So I went to dinner with Guy at a cheap but great Iraqi restaurant.  I had lamb chops for $8 USD.  Then I just came home…actually excited about not doing anything.  Im looking forward to a good night’s sleep.  Friday and Saturday are going to be full.  So I have to take my rest when I can get it.

Jerilyn, went back to the Philippines tonight.  She was very excited and Im happy for her.  She gets to see her husband again after two years.   Can you believe that…being away from your spouse and child for two years.  She doesn’t want to be away, but the financial situation is so dire in the Philippines, she feels like she has no choice.  There is a lot of that type of story out here.  So many people, Indians, Filipinos, Pakistanis, they are the sole breadwinners of their family, so they have to sacrifice, and send most of it home.  Its really quite amazing their work ethic and how little they make.  Comparatively speaking, if they would happen to get a minimum wage job in the U.S., it would be triple what they would be making here and probably 10 times what they would make in their home country.  So please never begrudge a immigrant labor again.  They are making extreme sacrifices for the survival of their family.  They are usually doing jobs that most Americans don’t want to do anyways.  I remember back when I first got out of grad school, I worked delivering pizzas with a guy named Ashook.  He made quite an impression, as I still remember him vividly after 18 years.  He would deliver pizzas with me in the night, then work a 10 hour shift at 7-11 in the day time.  He made little money by US standards, but a fortune by Indian standards.  Americans even in the midst of the recession…have it so good.  That’s why I feel so compelled to write these stories about how the other half of the world lives.  If we don’t understand our wealth, then we don’t appreciate our wealth and take if for granted.  Often times in prayer we ask God for what we want, and not necessarily what we need.  I have so much excess…and I always catch myself wanting more.  I am not a wealthy man, and I don’t consider myself to be poor either.  Yet compared to the rest of the people here in Bahrain, Im extremely wealthy.  I just don’t feel like it.  I have to examine myself…do I really need 50 shirts in my closet, 15 pairs of pants, 10 pairs of shoes.  Plus all the clothes and stuff I left behind in Texas and California.  How did this happen to me?  America is a fabulous country and I believe the best in the world (coming from first hand observational and comparative experience) yet our consumerism (which drives the global economy) has us missing out on some of the most important things in life.  As the market corrects itself with consumerism, its interesting to note that those most affected are not Americans.  The most affected are the factory workers in China that doesn’t have the demand for manufacturing like they did when the global economy was booming.  What im trying to say is that times are tough all over.