To be rich is what many people want. Rich is a word that flashed piles of cash in people's minds, or numerous digit places in their bank account. Yet the word 'rich' has a more general meaning in the dictionary, a meaning of having in great quantity or in abundance, not necesarily always to do with money.
Being rich simply means one can buy the goodies they want, travel and explore new places, raise one's stature and widen social circle and recognition. We want to be rich to indulge in luxury, sensual pleasures and extravagance.
For the less fortunate, getting rich is a way to liberate from the chains of poverty, to break free from the people and environment that they detest.
Having come from a not so well-to-do family myself, I live among neighbors of very similar financial standards. The lack of money not only limit how far we can travel, how big our rooms is, and how much we can eat. More importantly and sadly, it can change a person as well. Take my neighbor for example, we first knew each other when I was around 7 to 8 years old. He was 3 years younger than me. His mother worked very hard everyday to make sure he wouldn't starve. Despite earning only $500 as monthly income, she would buy him his desired toy or game console just to see him happy. But his father, however, wasn't as caring and hardworking as his wife. Hoping to strike rich, he always took shortcuts and would spent constant sums on lotteries and alcohol. Some nights he would return home drunk and angry and yell at his wife whenever she brought up the money issue. There were times he even threatened his wife with a knife, or beat her up. At such a young age, my neighbor would cry out loud in fear.
Many years later, his mother and him decided to put an end to this and eventually left the apartment secretly for good. After they left, his husband's became mentally ill and some time later, rumors broke out that he passed away. Since, I lost contact with my neighbor and never saw him again.
This incident taught me one crucial lesson- Lack of understanding and greed is a bigger problem than poverty.
If only my neighbor's father would show more concern and work hard, even if his income was not very ideal, his wife and son would be more than contented. Because of his idleness, his wife's became angry easily for being unappreciated.
