Report from Bhutan

Sunday Eric reported on his recent trip to Bhutan, a tiny country between India and China, which is predominantly Buddhist. There is an enlightened monarch there who is democratizing the country. Eric was struck by the friendliness of the people, their warmth and ease. He was most surprised by the children, who readily came up to him and wanted to play. The average annual income is about $800, yet the people are contented with their simple lives. The recent introduction of cell phones, cable TV and tourists will present challenges for the culture, which has lived a very simple agricultural life. We may all reflect on the question of what the inescapable affordances of our contemporary society have added to our quality of life. The Bhutanese government is guided by a "gross national happiness" index, rather than a gross national product index. Could we be looking at our lives in all the wrong ways? We had tea in the garden at Texas French Bread and chatted casually, far from television, cell phones, and computers. Gradually the overcast skies cleared and the sun warmed the deep Texas sky. It was a lovely morning.