According to a recent report issued by the United Nations University (a U.N. think tank), over 563 million people in India have cell phones. This means half of India's population are mobile subscribers. At the same time, only 1/3 (approximately 336 million) of India's people have access to proper sanitation. Consider the following as a case in point: The Mumbai slum of Rafiq Nagar is populated by some 10,000 people. They live in shanties made of cardboard, bamboo and ripped tarps. There is no garbage pickup in Rafiq Nagar and little electricity. And not a single toilet or latrine. Yet almost every one of the destitute families living there has a cell phone! And some have three!Now I scratched my head when I read this. And quite frankly, I am not sure what to make of it. Some might scoff at what they see as misplaced priorities. A cell phone over a commode? But is that really the case? Could it be that what is going on here is the deep desire of the human heart to be connected with others. Given the extent these people must go to in order to just survive - perhaps the cell phone gives them opportunities to relate with family and friends that they might not otherwise enjoy. Whatever the answer truly is, we can certainly take away from this a needed reminder to value our relationships. Please don't cheat on these. Make your significant relationships an integral part of your life. At the end of the day, you will be glad you did!
Thanks for stopping by,
pj
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