When contemplating taking things for granted, one might first think of the family. In ancient times, the basic unit of Roman society was the family. Even today, most issues cent

It doesn't stop there, though - people tend to dismiss their available resources. It's a common sight to see people stuck in a traffic jam complaining, honking, and making love signs at their neighbors. Yet, we're lucky that we're sitting in an air-conditioned vehicle, listening to music, or talking on a cell phone. If someone were to hit us, we would be restrained and protected by airbags and a seatbelt. In the mountainous terrain of Peru, the people's main mode of transportation lie in swinging on cable lines across wide, hot, mosquito-infested chasms. If they mess up, if they fall, they're gone - there is literally no safety net. This past night, I left my fan on because I was hot, my lamp on because I'm afraid of the dark, and my computer on because I was downloading a song when my little sister, not my mother, told me that I was wasting energy. Now, I said something along the lines of "Yeah, right" or "Oh, well," and yet, she had a point. Figuratively speaking, every one of us, at least in our life, has left the water running while brushing their teeth. For us, water isn't a problem - it's literally at our fingertips. In places like Tanzania, people rush outside when it rains because that rain is their main source of water - they operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Considering their dry climate, if they're even a little bit late, they can forget about taking another shower for the next few days. Furthermore, it's a common sight to see someone go up to their mother and complain, " Mommy, I need another pair of jeans - I got this big pen mark on the pant leg." What's wrong with this picture? Well, you might say it depends on who you ask, but there is indeed a common theme. My dad never discards a shoe, sock, shirt, or the like - if it gets stained, he works in it outside in our garden. The fact it, though, that he has the power (both monetary and mobile) to go out and buy something that he needs to wear anytime he wants. While most of our society is becoming more and more concerned with the outside-in instead of the inside-out, our materialistic ways serve as a foil, if you will, for those without resources. One can go into the heart of Mexico City and easily be approached by over 20 kids asking you to buy $.05 chiclets from them - their basic source of income. In India, where my cousins live, power always goes out at least 1-3 times a day for hours at a time; meanwhile, my computer is on the Internet in one room downloading a song and I'm in the living room watching the Letterman Show.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Slobodan Mi-LAA-se-VICK, Reeves Neo, Oh Figuratively, Mexico City, Pizza Hut, Taking Granted, Middle East, Oompa Loompa, Somalia Hearing, MONEY TAKES, downloading song, granted family, mother told, common sight, taking granted, little sister, it's common, picture mom, it's common sight,
Approximate Word count = 1710
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)