1bigblackblog

FINDERS AND KEEPERS

a young neighbor girl asked if i had seen thirty dollars.
her slightly older friend explained she lost it while
running down the street. i joked that i hadn't found it
but if i did i would spend only half and return the rest

ten minutes later they came back and i asked if the
money was found. the older girl said it was not but
her mom gave twenty more. she is an american and her
mom is cambodian

we talked a bit about my visits to cambodia and the
khmer langauge and her fear of going to her mom's
homeland because she's been told it's full of ghosts

i was suprised there appeared to be no drama or stress
about the missing money. i'm old enough to remember
when thirty dollars was a day's wage, a damn good one.
yet here is an example of it today being merely finders
and keepers

what is the process that creates such widespead wealth
that the loss of thirty dollars doesn't result in the gnashing
of teeth or the slapping of faces. could it be that we are
the financial elite that we rail against and loudly denounce ?

are the current turmoil and sour circumstances that are
sowing fear and dread everywhere the consequence of
our actions. or is it what is needed to be done so you
and me and everyone we know can retain our elite
position and privilege ?