My kids and I were having a relaxed chat about what would make the world a better place and we decided that making some things free and available to everyone would definitely even out the playing field and make everyday life more pleasant and productive. I’m not going to dwell on health care and education here when it comes to things we think should be free for families (and individuals, too)–instead, we want to focus on some of the little, daily, ordinary things that we’ve decided should be free (our list definitely reflects a multi-generational approach)–a no-cost privilege of universal civilized, modern life…
1. Electricity (renewable, sustainable energy)–imagine if everyone in the world had access to electricity for cooking, heat, etc.?
2. Public transportation (buses, trains, bicycles, etc.)
3. Soap
4. Water
5. Diapers
6. Feminine Hygiene supplies (alright, so we are house of three women)
7. Internet Access
8. Shoes
9. Music
10. Coats, hats and outerwear
This was a fun and inspiring list to generate with my kids. I imagine if we had done it when they were younger, the list would be quite different. Try this with your kids or a group or class, it’s interesting to hear other people’s perspective and have them explain why some things make their list and others don’t. Some of the things they came up with like, “books” we decided couldn’t be on the list since there were already libraries in most communities, but upon further discussion, realized this wasn’t necessarily true world-wide.
It was interesting to see all of our values come through. This would be a fun activity to do with an extended family or a group with seemingly mixed values and opinions. What do you think should be free?