Quality of Life

The average lifespan in Kenya is 40 years old and many children don't make it to adulthood. They struggle very hard just for food and shelter. However, they appear to me to be a very happy group of people. I love to watch people.

In Italy we would walk down to the center of town on Saturday and have a capicinno at a sidewalk cafe in the center of town, probably a thousand people would walk by us. In Egypt we sat at a sidewalk cafe and watched the people at the market. In Kenya we visited several village markets. And in the States we spent hours at the mall. People shop everywhere. I also observed people in Germany, England, France, Austria and now Japan. I have made so many observations but about happiness my travels have made me wonder what is quality of life. Is the quality of life of the average American, the richest country ever to exist better than the quality of life of the people who lived in the 1500's or the people who live today in Kenya? Not if you go by the outward appearance of happiness a stranger observes where they shop. Is quality of life happiness? Is it long life? Or is it something else?

My theory is that quality of life comes from purpose, the achievement of ones goals and the respect and prestige of that achievement from ones peers and family; and from loving and being loved and cherished. I also think that physical accomplishments are more rewarding because being physically active releases endorphins and intellectual accomplishments do not. So based on my theory I think that no matter what era one is born in, no matter what station in life we go thru we have the opportunity for a life or to be happy or unhappy.

Many people born in America never have to worry about disease or starvation yet they spend every day of their life struggling and working for more stuff, a better car, a fancy vacation. Many people are overwhelmed by debt and drugs etc. However, people living in third world countries, whose children die in infancy and don't live past 40 live their entire life,working hard their whole life never achieving more than a bit of food and shelter, yet they are happy. They have active social lives, low crime rates and there is a ton more laughter at the market in Kenya than at the mall in America.