Typical Morning
When I woke this morning, I layed in bed for a moment and stared at the ceiling above me. Crawling out of bed, I walked upon the carpet and passed through the kitchen and entered the bathroom. I used the toilet and then flushed. I washed my face and hands with warm soapy water. Brushed my teeth and ran a comb across my hair. Walked into the kitchen and heated a cup of coffee in the microwave. With cup in hand, I went into the livingroom and turned on the computer.
I admit that this is not an adventurous beginning to a morning. However, on most days, this is the way things unfold for me. Change a few variables, and I am sure that many others begin their day in a similar fashion.
Although the beginnings to my typical morning may seem to be quite typical, for many people of the world, these few first steps of my day are beyond their imagination. There are those that wake each day with no roof over their head and without a bed to crawl out of. There isn’t any carpet under foot, nor kitchen to pass through, nor any bathroom to use, and certainly no coffee to microwave or computer to turn on.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is approximately 6 billion people. That’s an impressive number to consider. What is even more stagering is that there are currently more people living today than the entire combined total of those that have lived and died in the history of humankind.
While the increase in world population has somewhat slowed in the past few decades, it continues to grow at a rapid pace. According to Census Bureau projections, world population will increase to a level of nearly 8 billion in approximately twenty years, and will reach 9.3 billion by 2050.
I don’t forsee myself living to the time of 2050. However, there are many people living today that will live to see that half-way point of this century. As the world population continues to grow, and the disparity between the rich and poor increases, I can’t help but wonder how the typical morning will unfold for those in the future.