All I want for Christmas…

So while I’ve been on my lovely Cabo Vacation I’ve had lots of time to think about my life and all that goes with it.

Being a materialistic spoiled girl, in the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to think of all the things I could want this Christmas. 

I honestly couldn’t come up with much.  I pretty much have everything I want or need and am especially grateful this year, because I have this fella I’m crazy about.  I think it’s enough. 

So here I am, in sunny Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.   Cabo is a beautiful, tourist town, which is a bit more upscale than certain Mexican tourist traps.  It costs quite a bit to fly down and the resorts are a tad pricier than others. 

As I walked down the pier into town, a poor young woman, with 4 children stopped me, asked for pesos and offered me Chicklets for my money.  I simply put my head down and said “Sorry, no gracias”.

As I walked past, with my head down, I realized that my Bruno Magli sandals probably cost more money than they see in a week.  It also occurred to me that I had bought 2 pair of those sandals while on vacation in Italy last year. 

I quickly walked back and handed her 200 pesos, the equivalent of $20 American dollars.  I smiled and said “No Gracias” to the chicklets.

So here I sit, writing this from the balcony of my timeshare 1 bedroom condo that I fly down to every year.  The balcony overlooks the 4 pools and out onto the Pacific Ocean.  I’m writing this on a Laptop, which cost me over $3k, and I’m sipping on Starbuck’s coffee that I purchased in town at the grocery store, that although seemed pricey at $10 a bag, I figured was worth it for “GOOD” coffee. 

I have over 700 CD’s.  I have clothes and shoes.  I have electronic toys and TV’s, VCR’s & DVD players in each room in my house.  I have food in the pantry and my 2 dogs have more toys in their toy-box than some children have.  I pay my bills and still manage to give to charity.  I spoil my loved ones in innumerable ways, recently spending hundreds & hundreds to take R to see Dave Matthews. 

I ’m not about to become a philanthropist.  I’m not about to begin to preach about money being evil.  I’ve worked very hard to be in the position I’m in.  I’ve worked my ass off to have what I have and I’m really not ashamed of it. 

But I can’t help but wonder, what if life had been different.  What if I hadn’t been born into a middle class Irish German family?  What if I didn’t get my parents work ethic, and I opted instead to squander my life away?

But I didn’t.  I am what I am and I have become who I am because of my parents and all they taught me.   I can’t help that I was born into a different culture.  I simply can’t help that.  

I realize I can’t solve the worlds poverty problems. 

I realize that in my small way, I help the economy of Cabo San Lucas when I purchase anything down here. 

So why does $20 seem like nothing to give a woman with 4 children? 

And why do I feel so damn guilty about those Bruno Magli shoes?

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