A few months ago I was in a tiny country called Lesotho in Southern Africa. Some friends and I rented a guide and several horses and set off into the mountainous countryside for several days. The people of Lesotho are very relaxed and friendly. They live mainly off of whatever crops they can coax from the ground. Most of them do not have any money and they measure wealth by the number of cattle a person owns. I was sitting one night talking with a village leader (he owned 80 cows!) who had graciously lent us the use of his tiny one-room hut for the night. It was a substantial home compared to others in the village and, always curious about real estate, I asked him how much money it cost to build such a home. He looked at me with a confused expression for a few moments and then replied, I dont need money! I just go with my brothers and my friends and we collect rocks, mud, straw and limbs. We build the house in just three days! Wealth is relative and so is our idea of the perfect home, everyone has different needs and desires. Some even make do with a one-room hut! |