For what do I feet fortunate? Here's some things:
- having a successful son and daughter-in-law
- living in a wealthy nation
- living in a free and liberal society
- able to be independent and own two homes
- owning a home on a beautiful river
- having a Ph.D.
- having an intact family with everyone alive, well, wealthy, and married
They all seem rare or scarce, so I was wondering: what the odds that God would plop me down here on the earth at this time and place with all these things. After all, each seems rare or scarce among humans.
So here's my odds:
1. Having a son and daughter-in-law earning > $100,000 each: 1 in 100
2. Living in the top dozen wealthy nations: 1 in 6
3. Living in a free and liberal society: 1 in 2
4. Not dependent but able to own two residences (in the city and the country): 1 in 200
5. Owning a large country wooded lot on a river near a metropolitan area: 1 in 500
6. Having a Ph.D.: 1 in 50
7. Family intact (all 12 siblings and spouses alive and married): 1 in 35,000
So, I wonder, what were my overall chances that I would simultaneously have all those things in my life?
The odds of experiencing all these factors simultaneously—living in Portland, OR with a lot on the Sandy River, having a Ph.D., a successful son, and an extended family of 12 siblings and spouses who are all alive, well, married, and wealthy—are approximately 1 in 1 trillion.
