Money: What's it Worth?

Before leaving America, I was told several times by people that traveling abroad would forever change me as an individual.  That I would have a new view on life; a different perspective on what it means to be human in the world we live in.  I always nodded my head, agreeing like I understood what they said.  But I never really comprehended the meaning.

Now I get it.  Or I sort of do, at least.  It is not something that I can describe in words.  I also know that this indescribable feeling will only be epitomized when I am adjusted back into my home country.  But this feeling, or this perspective, feels more relevant every day as I travel across the world.

Particularly with the concept of currency.  Money.  For me, I had always been familiar with green-colored-wealth, and symbolized $ signs, and George Washinginton's profile on coins.  American currency seemed prominent, because it was all I knew.   I knew people worked hard to earn it, and that others did bad things to get it.  I knew that more was better, and that I needed it to attain the things I wanted. 

Truthfully, the US dollar is not all that great.  It's a filthy, flabby piece of paper, as most world-wide currency typically is.  The difference between the US dollar, the EU euro, and the UK pound (three currencies I have used within the last couple months) is that the dollar is actually weighed much less.  It's not in high demand.  In other words, one American dollar is equal to only two thirds of one UK pound. 

My wallet is filled (well, not filled) with colorful banknotes, shiny Queen Elizabeth's, and some green Ben Franklin's.  I know each bill comes from a different region and I know that one bill may be worth more than another.  But overall, all the money in my wallet seems to just mesh together.  I know see that money is just money, and not much more than that.

It's like trading a potato for an apple.  Like currency, the volume and color changes slightly.  The potato is dense, dull, and colorless; the apple is lighter and may be green, red, or even yellow.  Likewise, the nutrition, or value of the two pieces of produce, changes because potatoes are to satisfy starches, whereas an apple is packed with Vitamin C.  Nonetheless, you're exchanging something to get something in return.  To think that one form of currency (or one food item) is superior begins to seem a bit naive.  

This only seemed more relevant when I walked into the British Museum in London.  There was a display of currencies from different time periods in different regions.  The comparison of all the riches was not shown to demonstrate wealth, but rather to show that all people have always used different forms in exchange.  We are all really very similar in that way, as people.

I realize this more and more everyday:  Everyone is similar, despite our location on the globe.  It is easy to contrast diverse cultures - in fact, it's almost an expectation to find differences when traveling abroad.  However, I have come to find that exploring our similarities, not our differences, is what makes our world beautiful.