Money Talks

Some months ago, my wife and I attended a fundraiser after a hurricane had hit Cuba. There were all kinds of efforts to raise money – food and drinks were sold, books and other items were also on sale. All this took place in a church basement. Afterwards, upstairs a variety of volunteer musicians put on a spirited concert. Then there was an appeal for funds to help the stricken Cubans. The total amount raised – about $1,000.

Recently we were at a dinner meeting, at which some Cubans were present. There was a discussion about the future of Cuba. There are many stories swirling around Cuba and Castro, some true, some false. One indisputable fact remains – in this Caribbean nation, all persons, regardless of social status, race or religion receive free health services and education. We can argue about Cuba all we want, but still these remarkable facts remain.

Later in the evening, our Cuban friend was surveying the listing of homing pigeons for sale. The prices for these birds ranged from several hundreds of dollars to one that was valued at $1,200. I was told that in Europe the prices could be much higher.

So there you have it. One thousand dollars raised at a Cuban fundraiser vs. $1,200 for the purchase of a pigeon. If money talks, what is this saying? At the same dinner party, a Muslim friend said that this symbolizes, in a nutshell, what is wrong with the world.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
p.s. I always try to end on the positive so, take a look at the graph below. Let’s all work both personally and corporately to make the world a healthier place.