What Abrham said last night...

As most of you know, we adopted Abrham, our 7 year old full-of-life and energy boy, last year from Ethiopia.  He was actually in the same transition home (orphanage) as our two newer kids.  Well, he has mastered speaking in English already...so much so, that he can't stop talking!  :)  It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but you have to have a lot of verbal energy to be alone with him.  Because...if you are alone with him, you have to answer ALL of his questions.  Anyway, last night we were alone in the car on our way to pick up Hannah at her 4H meeting.  In one minute, he mentioned 8 things that he "wants".  Most of them were things that he was seeing out the window as we drove, and this was in the dark...so you can imagine how much more so in the daylight!  One of the things was a 4-wheeler, one was more snow, one was to live on a hill, one was a brother to play with, etc.  I said, "Do you realize that you just said you want 8 things?  That's a lot of things to want.  Make sure you are thankful and happy with what you have." I was starting that lecture that we do as parents.  He interrupted me and said that in Ethiopia he didn't want all these things.  I asked him why not, and you know what he said?...."I couldn't see them.  In America I see all these things so I want all of them.  I'm an American now."  WOW!  At first that just made me feel bad that we have already turned him into an "American" who just wants more stuff.  But then I thought about it more and more and I related it to the peace that we saw in the people of Ethiopia.  Hmmmmm....they don't have much there at all, compared to what we have.  And they are more peaceful.  Way more content and peaceful.  Does that mean we are such a "I want..." society here because we see all these things?  Seriously, I wonder if media, technology, keeping up with the neighbor, the "I just need one more thing, then I will be happy" is because we SEE all the stuff we don't have.  I know this sounds like I'm trying to get all philosophical, but really...I think it's true.  We want stuff because we see it.  Without seeing it, we may be a happier, more peacful bunch of people!?!  Boy, what we learn from a 7 year old when we really HEAR what they have to say.