Reading an article today by Ralph Nader, America’s Miserly Wage Needs an Upgrade, got me thinking.  I look at the the companies I have worked for over the years I am saddened by the wages  for which people will trade their time. Unfortunately, I have worked for low wages myself out of desperation.  Like it explains in the article, there are a few people making millions of dollars a year.  Why do some make so much, when others make so little.

However, Mr Nader doesn’t really address the bigger question.  Is more money going to make us happier?  I am, as is anyone else, lucky to be living in the United States.  I often wonder, how did I get to live at this time in earth existence; was it luck? Was I born to this out of favor of providence, Or did I somehow earn the right to be here because of good or bad choices in a previous life.  For what ever reason I am here, I believe I need to be grateful for my experience here.  I realize I live better than most kings have lived for ages. I am healthy. I have extremely easy access to clean water.  I can get enough food, in an hour, to feed myself and my family for 3 months, without any problem.  I realize that there are many in this country that struggle to provide for their families, but they don’t lack for food or clean water.  It may not be the healthiest food, but they don’t go hungry, as does much of the worlds population does today, as they have for thousands of years.

I ask the question again, am I happier with what I have, even though it pales in comparison to those CEO’s making millions of dollars a year.  Will I ever know If they or me is happier.  Probably not.

Even in light of my discussion about happiness, I still think every one should have enough money to meet the basic necessities of life, wether they are worthy of it or not.