The Price of Bananas

Greetings Dear Reader,

We have a local servo store that uses bananas as a loss leader.  The store prices bananas five to seven cents lower than the local stores so that you will come in and buy them.  The hope is that you will also buy other things there.  It works on me.

Last summer there was a spike in banana prices and the aforementioned convenience store raised the price of bananas for the first time in years.  The price went from twenty-five cents a pound to thirty-five cents a pound.  This is still below the price at the grocery store by a fair margin.  I remember half joking and half seriously complaining about this change in price.

A friend of mine in Australia was commenting on the price of bananas earlier today.  It really put things in perspective for me.  You see I forget sometimes how easy Americans have it even compared to other developed countries.  My friend was excited because she was getting bananas for $7.95 a kilo.  For the metric challenged that means that my $1.75 five pound bunch of bananas would cost her about $18.  There have been times when my 5 pounds of bananas would have cost her over $31. 

Now I admit that some things are different.  I am sure my friend Tash can get Kangaroo tail or Emu cheaper than I can but how often do I eat that compared to bananas.  Worse though is that I complained.  I worried more about the price of bananas for me than I appreciated how cheap they really are on a global scale.  I think I am on to something that can make me more appreciative of what I have.

I am good at thinking globally about some things but poor in other areas.  It is true that the prices of things on a local scale are going up but almost everything I consume is still very inexpensive on a global scale.  I still live in relative luxury.  One of those luxuries is that I do not pay the same relative price for things as the remainder of the planet.  I hope that I can maintain this focus. 

I have so many blessings that I take for granted.  I must endeavor to show more gratitude to God for them.  I must not forget how much advantage I have and the responsibility that comes with that advantage.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."