Friday, February 24, 2012

First World Problems.

Today I am grateful for first world problems.

What are first world problems? exactly what it says. Problems experienced by people who live in the first world. Like having to take clothes to the laundry mat when your washing machine dies. or having to wash all your dishes by hand because you don't own a dishwasher.

check out Tumblr's First World Problems for some over the top (and quite hilarious examples)

also called Everyone at the party is drunk and no one can drive problems

Maybe I'm not suppose to talk about it.

But, MAN, I am so glad that my problems look fucking stupid compared to other people's problems.

Seriously.

I go to my kitchen, open up my refrigerator and say to The Marsh "There's nothing to drink in the house!"...except for that whole constant running water from the faucet thing, of course.

It sounds silly doesn't it? There's NOTHING to drink? really??

and yet I bet almost everyone I know has said the same thing at some point or another.

The drought that occured in Africa in 2011 and that is still going on now makes me sick to think about. I read an article in the newspaper about families traveling for days to find shelters with food and water. Halfway through their journey they run out of water. children get sick. get weak. parents make the decision to leave their children in the middle of the desert to die in order to keep traveling. because they have other children they can save. Reports are saying that between 50,000 and 100,000 people, more than half of them under the age of five, died in 2011 in the horn or Africa drought. In all 13 million people have been affected.

...and yet I don't have anything in my house to drink?

even if the pipes stopped working and there was literally nothing in my house to drink, all I have to do is get in my car and drive to the nearest grocery store. problem solved.

It's the same with saying there is no food in the house. actually there is always food in my house. just not always the food I want to eat at that particular moment.

I get frustrated when I run out of cascade.

...when there is no wine in my house.

....when my favorite brand of coffee creamer is out of stock.

...that the house I OWN still has white walls.

...that gasoline costs so much to fill up my car that takes me to my JOB.

I can't just suddenly stop hating these things. I'm sure that not having the right coffee creamer will always piss me off. But I can take a moment to be grateful that my problems are so miniscule. I try to remind myself everyday that even if life seems awful for a moment, everything is relative. My life is actually pretty great. My children have plenty of food and water. They have warm clothes and shelter. not just any shelter, a house. they have access to modern medicine if they get sick. I hope to teach my children to be grateful and appreciative, because not every child will have the opportunity that they have.

 But I'll still be grateful that my children will grow up with first world problems. and not third world problems. so. grateful.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

No comments:

Post a Comment