I am currently knowmading through Granada, Nicaragua. It is the - TopicsExpress

I am currently knowmading through Granada, Nicaragua. It is the oldest city in Nicaragua and one of the oldest in Central America. Although by Nicaraguan standards it is slightly wealthier than the rest of the country, by USA standards the people here are very poor. Yesterday walking around town I saw coming towards me a father riding a bicycle together with his wife and his small daughter. I have no idea how the three of them managed to all get on this average bicycle but somehow they did. As they passed me I noticed they all had huge smiles on their faces expressing what appeared to me to be sincere happiness and joy. The first thought that came to me struck me like a punch in the face. I remembered all of those people I used to work with for many years in investment banking who have so much money yet they are depressed, cynical, constantly complaining about everything including their kids/spouses and generally hate their lives. What if the pursuit of materialism does not buy us happiness as we have been indoctrinated all of our lives to believe? My observations over the last year of traveling seem to suggest reality is something different.