Socks

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I thought about what I was grateful for. And of course, I have it pretty good. I am grateful for a lot of things.

But one thing I've been thinking about lately: socks. Yes really. Each year around this time, Jeanne buys me a dozen new socks. This year it was a “14 for the price of 12!” package, so I got extra. She buys them when mowing season is about over, and I try to make them last until the same time next year. I was trying to make it to Christmas, but I was down to 3 pairs that didn’t have holes, so she decided I couldn’t wait.

You know, socks are no big deal. I think the package cost about $12 or so, not sure. I can buy new socks any time I want. I don’t HAVE to wait a whole year, but I do.

But they are “no big deal” because I have it well. There are many people in the world who would be pretty pleased to get a few pairs of new socks, because that’s something they don’t have enough of.

And you know, it doesn’t have to be this way. We have enough wealth in this world that everyone should be able to have socks. Really. Even if they’re from another country. Or if they’re a different color. Or they’re a refugee. Or an immigrant. Or an asylum seeker. Or from a poor country. Or from a totalitarian country. Or from the wrong side of town. Or if they are children with really worthless parents. Or if they’re drug addicts. Or if they’re mentally handicapped. Or...everything.

Or to put it a different way--if Jeff Bezos, one single person, gave up just 25% of his wealth, we could buy 4 pairs of socks for every single human on the planet. Yes, I understand the logistics involved, but you get the idea. And by the way, he’d still have about $80 Billion left. Yeah.

I don’t know the solution, but I know what we’re doing now is wrong. And we don't seem to care enough to fix it--yet.