"But I neeeeeed it."

I am a self-proclaimed shop-a-holic...I am not proud of it.

I can walk into a mall and spend hours upon hours, ambling from store to store, gazing longingly at displays propped up in windows, trying on enough outfits to clothe a small army, and searching for accessories to match. This would be fine if all I spent at the mall was hours, but it never is. No matter how I try to justify it, my shopping habit is an expensive one. My sister and I have always been partners in crime when it comes to shopping, and occasionally she will call me out on buying something completely impractical. She'll look at my selections skeptically and say "Don't you already have something just like that? Maybe even two somethings just like that?" I will consider this for a moment, then I will inevitably whine, "...but I neeeeeed it."

My perception of my own needs is obviously flawed.

This bit of self-reflection on my shopping addiction, er, habit has led me to think about the concept of human needs in general. People survive at varying positions on a wide spectrum of conditions and possessions, and their perceptions of their needs are inextricably linked with their position on this spectrum. On one end is the person who has everything under the sun, and imagines that they cannot survive without any of it, and on the other end is the person with zero material possessions who would likely have no idea what to do with all of these so-called necessities required by the first person.

Westerners, in general, exist on the end weighed down by lots and lots of stuff. We pride ourselves on owning the latest technology, biggest house, most expensive furniture, and in my case, the fullest closet. It gives me pause, however, to think of the other end of the spectrum, much lighter than the end I currently reside on, and how different it must be. I recently discussed this with a friend of mine who summed it up quite nicely in a quote by Buddha: "(s)he who is not happy with nothing will not be happy with everything."

We are so up to our eyeballs in our possessions, that we might be missing the big picture of what it actually takes to survive, and survive happily. Perhaps we are not reveling in our stuff, but drowning in it. In this light, it makes sense that the Western world is characterized by obesity, high stress levels, and the diseases associated with them. If we cannot learn to manage and be happy with a simple life, how can we be expected to manage our plethora of possessions?

While the Western world is burdened with too much wealth and too many possessions, the developing world is burdened with poverty and scarcity. While I am busy worrying about how on earth I can be expected to keep my closet organized, billions of people are stuck, literally in the dark because of the lack of electricity, wearing the same two or three articles of clothing day in and day out, because it is all they have. Westerners worry about losing weight, while citizens of developing countries are starving to death. I constantly whine that "I neeeeed" a new pair of shoes, while people suffer because they cannot get something that they actually do need, something as simple as clean water.

Joyce Mbwilo's life in Tanzania exemplifies the struggle to meet daily needs across the African continent. She tells of the difficulties she faces to send her children to school, and the 10 hour walk she must make, overnight, to bring water to her village. She is far from alone in these conditions, one in five people worldwide is estimated to have no access to clean water. She beseeches leaders of the G-8 to put themselves "in her shoes" to create policies that could help alleviate her exhausting situation. I wonder if it is even possible for someone who has to only turn on a tap to understand what it is like to commute for 10 hours for something as essential as water.

What strikes me while looking at these pictures is also how upbeat and positive she appears to be. She has much to be bitter about, but yet she smiles through the pictures and emphasizes the importance of a future for her children. If someone from a developed country is denied even the smallest luxury, I doubt that their attitude would be as optimistic. Have you ever witnessed what happens if you accidentally bump ahead of someone in line at a Starbucks? If people can't stand to wait an extra two minutes for their coffee, I doubt they would be smiling while carrying a heavy load of water.

Reading stories like Joyce's makes me feel ashamed. I don't see how I can justify or excuse my extravagant lifestyle while simultaneously claiming to be concerned about the fate of African citizens.

I think it is extremely important for people to evaluate, or in my case, re-evaluate what they actually need. We can't continue to stand idly by, with all of our stuff in tow, while ignoring the needs of fellow humans. I am not suggesting becoming a vagrant with no possessions, but perhaps next time you are in my position, about to make a superfluous purchase, take a moment to appreciate all the little luxuries you have...and then take a moment to think about how you can help someone without them.

My sister once posed the question, "What is important to you and how are you living it?" Africa, and the needs of its citizens are important to me - more important than my next shopping fix. I hope that wherever I end up with the Peace Corps will help me to start to live it.