For Me - Articles about Israel

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The world was created just for me
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People can make adversities disappear by overlooking them - or by viewing them from a different perspective.

A panoramic view of Jerusalem, the center of the world, stretches out from my balcony. I realize how fortunate I am to live here. Many people gave their lives so that I can benefit from these traditional and historic sights. Yes, they had other motives as well, but as far as I'm concerned, it was done just for me. I've been in Israel for decades, but whenever I look at those places I re-live my excitement. Nothing can surpass the thrill of living in the holiest and most beautiful city in the world.

The streets are filled with trucks that bring produce, furniture, lumber, building materials and other things to stores, so that I can shop. They're doing it to provide for my needs. I am surrounded with vibrant, energetic, smiling, and happy people. They plant trees, plants, and flowers throughout the country, to make it pretty for me.

They set up a transportation network of buses and trains so that I can travel conveniently from one place to another. They installed electric and telephone wires, and an entire cellular network, so that I can make phone calls to and from any place in Israel. They did it all for me.

Perhaps a more objective analysis would lead to the conclusion that they set it up for millions of other people who are living together with me in Israel. That doesn't matter. When I look around I see is that they've set up this entire country just for me.

Many others are are working just for me. Some do a better job, and some do a worse job. As a result, some things do need improvement. I don't mind. I realize that they are constantly improving things. They're putting up more houses, more street lights, more cellular phone dishes, and more roads. They're providing me with a greater selection of products in my local supermarket. I can take anything that I want, at my convenience, and I can leave the other things behind. In the meantime they're all displayed enticingly in the market places, in the supermarkets, and in the shops.

Could I get these products cheaper from another location? Unquestionably. But that doesn't matter. These people make it convenient for me to buy things right here in Israel. If I want to save money, then I can buy things elsewhere. However, if I want to enjoy the convenience of having these products arrayed before me, then I'll have to pay more for it. That's fair.

They built a world-class airport for me. I haven't flown in decades, but it brings me people and products from other countries.

I need help to be sure that my neighboring countries behave themselves. So, politicians, lawmakers, lawyers, policemen, and a powerful military system all scurry around to relieve me of those unpleasant tasks.

Are there better ways of doing things? Probably. This entire website is filled with my opinions about the way things should be done.

But when it comes down to it, I realize that I could have made changes in any areas that really bother me. I could have been a politician, a policeman, or a lawmaker. I could have been an importer, in which case I am sure that I would have bveen able to import products more efficiently and at a lower cost.

However, I'm relying on the good graces of other people to provide me with these services, so I'm willing to tolerate their deficiencies. If I don't import my own products, then I must be satisfied enough with the system. If I don't open my own school (and I almost did that at one point) then I must be satisfied enough to let other people run the educational system.

Things that disturb or bother me enough do cause me to get involved. Other problems are not serious enough for me to take a stand.

As a result, I do much more than merely survive in Israel. I am satisfied with the things that I leave for others to handle.

And that makes all the difference.

Where do you want to go now?