What's So Great About Being Rich Anyways

Christmas Eve. Some years this holiday makes people and especially families closer, but of course my family has to be the exception. Being born into a rich family may seem great and wonderful to some people, and in a way it is for me. Most days however, I am ashamed to be related to this group of "humans".

They are so insensitive to other people's needs except their own, of course. Never once have they stopped and sincerely though or cared about what another person may want, need, or be doing. They don't care if someone else had a success in their life. If it isn't beneficial to themselves, they block the rest out.

Moving, moving, moving. I swear that is all we do. I mean come on! Just because we have all this money doesn't mean we should flaunt it everywhere by having a mansion in almost every state. Even though I do get alot of money in allowance, i don't keep most of it. I don't spend it on myself. My parents have no idea that i give my money away. Charities, food kitchens, Salvation Army, any place that truely needs the money. In every town we have moved to, I have barely any friends. My family makes such a big show of moving into town that by the time I am ready for the first day of school, everyone knows who I am. Everyone wants to be my friend. Even though they know that I know they are only pretending to by my friend because my family has money, they still insist that they are true and really like me for me.

Luckily, I'm not stupid. I don't fall so easily under their spells of popularity and "fame". Why do all the other people in school look up to these fakes? They are all self-absorbed and the only time they do something for others is when they can get something out of it for themselves.

Like Jane, for instance. I found out where a soup kitchen was in her Chicago city, and asked her if she wanted to come with me on Thanksgiving to work there. You know, her being my "best friend" and all, she should have totally agreed. She asked me if we got paid to work there and I told her no. It's volunteer work, duh. She wondered, out loud by mistake, if they would take her picture and have it known she was doing something for the community. I told her to forget it because I could tell she wasnt' interested or sincere in her reason.

Even though she didn't come with me, I went and served food. As I piled food onto the plate of an elderly woman, I saw one of the kids from my new school in line for food. I guess I had always figured that everyone in that school was better off than others. As our eyes met, I let him know that it was ok he was there for food. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

Finally someone else who was affected by food houses. After I was done serving food, I went and sat with him. He told me he had seen me around school and never imagined he would see me in a place like this.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," I replied.

Ever since that day, we have been best friends. There is always the talk of moving to another town, but since I am a senior about to graduate, I could always just buy a house here and stay here. Kevin and I are best friends and many people see us outside during lunch and they make remarks saying we are poor and losers. Little do they realize, we are the happy ones. We are the rich ones.

My family isn't very accepting of my friendship with someone "below" our class. What is so great about being rich anyways? Money? Popularity? Well I'll tell you one thing it is good for, giving to other people who really need the food or money and clothing. It's the greatest feeling in the world to give, especially when no one knows how much and who is giving.

The holidays are a great time to give, so try to make someone else's life a litte better by giving money, clothing, or even a couple of soup cans to a food drive.

How would you feel if you were in their shoes? What will you do with your extra change, cash or even time?