Being rich, being poor

When we chose to live here, we knew we would not have some things we had in America. Things most Americans have. Things most people in America think other people should have.

We don’t have some of those things here. So, to some American people we seem poor because we don’t have those things.

So, we’re poor.

In this country, however, we have lots of things. Things that most people here don’t have. So, to some people here we seem rich because we have those things.

So, we’re rich. And, we’re poor. And, it all depends from what perspective you’re looking from.

Here’s an example: a few weeks ago, we bought two rather large appliances—a fridge and a washing machine.

From an American perspective— We bought a very small fridge. It may be a tad bigger than a dorm size fridge. It has no ice maker, no water dispenser. It doesn’t even have a separate freezer compartment. I don’t think it is deep enough to even hold a 12-pack of cokes. (No such thing here anyway!). By American standards it’s pretty pathetic. And, from the American perspective it was pretty cheap—only $180.

Our “washing machine” from the American perspective needs quotation marks around it because really it isn’t what any American would consider a washing machine at all. It’s generously called a “semi-automatic” washing machine. It has two compartments. One compartment you fill with water from a faucet (poking out of the hallway wall) and then a motor in the bottom agitates the clothes. Then, you put the clothes in the other compartment to spin the clothes. Then, you repeat the process to rinse the clothes. It takes forever by an American perspective to complete one small load of laundry. It was $116.

Now, from the local perspective— Our local friends here saw these two appliances being delivered to our apartment. “Wow! A new washing machine and a new fridge bought on the same day! How much did they cost?” they asked immediately. People always ask how much things cost here—from asking how much a cheap snack was or how much we pay each month in rent—it’s normal. (And, irritating.) So, we hesitantly told them. “Wow! How expensive!” they say.

This isn’t a post to make everyone in America feel guilty about the things you do or do not have. It’s not a post to make everyone in America think we are suffering here either.

God has supplied for our needs day in and day out. We just as often worry about how much we do have rather than how much we do not have.

It’s an odd position to be in—to be rich and poor at the same time. Some days we are frustrated with life here and frustrated with the things we don’t have that everyone in America has and takes for granted. Some days we are frustrated with life here and frustrated with the things we do have that most people here will never have. Some days I feel poor in the morning, and then by the end of day I feel overwhelmed by how much we have and the ease with which it has come to us. It’s embarrassing to tell people in America what we don’t have and it’s embarrassing to tell local people what we do have.

=  Rock + Hard place.

So, all that to say, it can be irritating to feel judged by Americans as being too poor (“You live that like! Ugh! I could never live like that!”), and it can be irritating to feel judged by local people as being too rich (“You live like that! Ugh! I could never live like that!”). Funny, how it’s the same statement meant in two completely different ways.

So, this is I guess complainy. But, my point in writing is to process my own feelings. And, if anyone else happens to be listening, to help you understand.

It can be hard to be rich and poor at the same time.