Wealth Defines a Person's Character... or not.

Fortunately in Canada we have CBC radio; to me one of the rare sources of intelligent media, with absolutely no commercials, sponsorships or pleas for funding.

This morning, I caught part of a CBC radio interview with a former editor of a Dublin publication. This man was talking about what happened to Ireland's economy; the same sad bleak story as we have seen in the U.S. Everyone consuming more than they can afford, business leaders and politicians denying the signs, followed by the financial collapse and bankruptcy of a nation and many of its people.

He did not advocate a return to the good old days. No he said that it was an era where consumption was conspicuous, where a person's reputation was defined by their material possessions. His position was that we have to find a better way to build character than by economic status.

I like that. I saw a lot of Armani and Boss suits on Bay Street; $1,000 shoes, Rolex watches, Mercedes Benzes. If you are a pensioner or a shareholder who just lost a lot of money, that's where some of your hard-earned savings went and possibly are still going.

So I say, the heck with all that ostentatious stuff. Sew your own clothes, drive a moderately priced vehicle or take public transit and appreciate people for who they really are, or are not.