I want to apologize for the lack of entries lately. My job has been keeping me busier than any other time in the past three years, and unfortunately, there hasn't been much left at the end of the day for blogging.
However, I haven't forgotten about you. I have been thinking about issues of poverty and hunger. My friend, Nikki, wrote a great post about the levels of poverty on her blog. And I just received a letter from one of the local charities I support, Community Foodbank of New Jersey, asking money for their Thanksgiving Appeal.
The President and CEO, Kathleen DiChiara, writes, "Many people in New Jersey don't realize the number of their neighbors who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Community FoodBank of New Jersey provides food to more than 1,600 hunger-relief programs throughout 18 counties and distributes over 23 million pounds of food annually."
It's true -- I had no idea of the numbers. You assume everyone has food to eat. At least there are various programs that offer help here in the US, Canada, and other first world countries. In many poor parts of the world, there just isn't the same kind of help.
That is one thing that puts the whole financial crisis in perspective. No matter how bad we have it because of the markets, it still is nothing like the situations people face in places like Haiti or Guatemala.
Another thing that put the gloom and doom on Wall Street into perspective was watching a film this week called Rescue Dawn. This is based on a true story about a US Navy pilot who becomes a POW in the Vietnam War. If you want a reality check about how much you take for granted, including food, health, and just freedom of movement, it's a good movie to see.
On a happier note, the next installment of my Morocco coverage will be our road trip through the desert to a seaside town called Essaouira. Stay tuned!
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