>
> This was sent to me today by a friend who makes his living in marketing and
> communications. So for those of us who find ourselves quoting statistics,
> for those who hanker for social policy that might actually reflect a
> realistic point of reference, for those of us who are suspicious that public
> opinion is manipulated more than it should be, and for those of us who are
> blessed with health, education, regular nourishment, a faith we can believe
> in and even a smidgen of self-reliance...I pass this on...
>
> If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100
> people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look
> something like the following:
>
> There would be:
> > > > 57 Asians
> > > > 21 Europeans
> > > > 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
> > > > 8 Africans
>
> > > > 52 would be female
> > > > 48 would be male
>
> > > > 70 would be nonwhite
> > > > 30 would be white
>
> > > > 70 would be non-Christian
> > > > 30 would be Christian
>
> > > > 89 would be heterosexual
> > > > 11 would be homosexual
>
> > > > 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6
> would be from the United States.
> > > > 80 would live in substandard housing
> > > > 70 would be unable to read
> > > > 50 would suffer from malnutrition
> > > > 1 would be near death;
> > > > 1 would be near birth
> > > > 1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
> > > > 1 would own a computer
>
> When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for
> acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
>
> The following is also something to ponder...
>
> If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more
> blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
>
> If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
> imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ...you are
> ahead of 500 million people in the world.
>
> If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
> torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the
> world.
>
> If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
> and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
>
> If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish
> someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
>
> If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare,
> even in the United States and Canada.
>
> If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that
> someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over
> two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
>
> Someone once said:
>
> > > > What goes around comes around.
> > > > Work like you don't need the money.
> > > > Love like you've never been hurt.
> > > > Dance like nobody's watching.
> > > > Sing like nobody's listening.
> > > > Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
>
> It's National Friendship Week. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.
>
> Pass this on, and brighten someone's day. Nothing will happen if you do not
> decide to pass it along. The only thing that will happen, if you DO pass it
> on, is that someone might smile because of you.
>
> Happy friendship week!
