Tye Chang’s Blog

Is it worth it to win the lottery? Jack Whittaker surely would not agree. Before people become judgmental and call this guy crazy, you might want to listen to his story. Jack Whittaker won the Powerball game back in 2002, but today, he regrets this huge boost in his life. In his recent interview with CNN, Whittaker feels as if his win came at the expense of his happiness. What does he mean by this? Since his win, Mr. Whittaker has become divorced, his daughter has become diagnosed with cancer, his granddaughter has become a drug-addict, and he has lost all friends.

Sure I’ll admit when I first saw the headline to this article, “Winner Reflects on Nightmare Lottery,” I thought that the piece would be a joke, but now I realize that it is actually a quite sad story. In fact, I think many should sympathize for this “winner.” It can be ascertained by Mr. Whittaker’s case that, winning millions is not something always worth it. I’m sure there are many reasons for this (which I hope responders will talk about), but in my view, a main cause of this is the seclusion, a supplement of lottery winning. Whenever someone hits the jackpot, that individual or group of individuals becomes vulnerable targets for all sorts of “money-hunters,” whether it be distant-relatives, mafia, etc. And evidently, this separation from the social world is not a happy one. However, I’m not to say that wealth and happiness are like water and oil, but instead, that happiness depends on how the money is earned. For example, Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is the richest athlete and despite his unimaginable wealth he lives life happily, and this is shown by his continuous participation in the PGA Tour. The difference between figures like Tiger Woods and Jack Whittaker is that, one is rich from doing something he loves while the other is rich for… no reason at all. In the end, it really seems that the winner is a poor loser.

To sum this up, I’ll say this: If there’s something money can’t buy, it is happiness, not even MasterCard can buy this.

 

Stephanie Baum’s Blog

I am currently reading a book called Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, and the subtitle reads The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World. Paul Farmer, an infectious disease doctor who grew up in a trailer park, has a very credible name. He graduated from Duke University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in anthropology, and received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his Ph.D in medical anthropology from Harvard University. He is both a professor and a doctor in Boston, and is also one of the founders of Partners In Health, which began in Haiti and is now a worldwide organization working in an effort to cure TB and AIDS. The book illustrates, through Farmer’s eyes, the demand of a proper health care system in Haiti. Even though Farmer spends most of his time in Haiti, his time spent in Boston is occasionally interrupted by weekend trips to the hospital he established in the Central Plateau of Haiti. He has dedicated most of his time and money to try to create enough of an influence to help stop pressing problems around the world in the matter of health care. His philanthropy has no end, exemplified by the time he handed his entire paycheck over to an AIDS patient who was near eviction, and the frequent trips made to Haiti whenever possible.

I feel that the topic of this book can be related to the topic of our course. Just outside our country, people are dying of diseases that could be so easily cured or prevented if the proper living conditions and available medical treatment were provided. Paul Farmer has dedicated himself to the Haitian people, and has impacted the entire nation of Haiti, one TB case at a time. To prompt further blog entries, I’ll start by saying I support the globalization of health care, and that the United States along with those who are able to help should be putting forth greater effort to help control health problems overseas. Dr. Paul Farmer is a model of the difference the selflessness of one person can make.