I have recently found myself feeling grateful for a number of things, most of which I consider quite basic. I’m not sure what is wrong with me; EBL is not naturally a grateful or sensitive little flower. It must be all this darn meditation I have tried to incorporate into my routines. When in doubt blame a Buddhist.
The thing is, once I started noticing it, I also started noticing how most of the stress factors in my life were in fact first world problems.
Let’s back up a moment and take it from the beginning.
The gratitude thing began recently when I started thinking how pretty the water was when it sparkled in the shower cubicle’s light. Our shower has a light and extractor fan which we always turn on if it’s too cold to have the window open, to try and prevent condensation. This means on dull, dark, winter mornings the water glitters as it comes out the shower head, and I think it’s shiny, shiny, pretty. Then I think how lucky I am to have access to plenty of good, clean, hot water to use on a daily shower.
So that sets me up for the day noticing things I usually take for granted. As well as clean water for making tea (even more important than showering I would suggest, although colleagues and close personal friends may beg to differ), I have all kinds of miracles at my fingertips. Like fridges – so I get fresh food and keep it fresh. Or safe public transport.
Anyway, you get the idea, I’m sure. Generally I keep thinking how lucky I am to live in a country where I have access to clean water, food and shelter. I admit not all of my fellow countrypersons are as lucky as me, so that just makes me feel even more grateful.
Obviously I don’t spend all day in a self-congratulatory miasma. Rather than feeling smug I decide to take myself down a peg or two by chastising myself for worrying about all my first world problems. In case you haven’t come across the term it refers to those irritations in life which people like to complain about but which actually only reinforce how fortunate they are. For example, worrying about the fact my new mobile phone case clashes with my handbag. Not that it does worry me, in fact, but I imagine some people get upset by such things. I prefer to think of myself as quirky. Plus having a purple phone case and red bag is really sticking it to the Man. Oh yeah!
Here are some of my terrible worries.
- Logging on to the WiFi in the coffee shop from my phone will subject me to more spam.
- I need to write a post for my blog or people will think I have died, but I have nothing to write.
- My nail varnish is chipped. Now I’ll have to spend 10 minutes sorting it out.
- Tesco appears to have run out of halloumi and have replaced it in the order they have delivered to my door with cheddar.
- The hotel doesn’t seem to provide BBC4 on its TV. Can’t watch re-run of Borgen.
- My train was cancelled and I had to run to another platform to get an alternative service, as well as losing my reserved seat.
- How can I be expected to carry two mobiles about with me; why can’t IT set up bring Your Own device?
- I have to stream the episode of Borgen I missed instead of downloading it and my broadband is not fast enough.
- In fact I have to endure rural broadband speeds all the time; Facebook takes actual seconds to load.
It’s all a bit embarrassing when I look at it. Honestly, EBL, get over yourself!
I was just wondering how you all get through your days. Do you ever find yourselves worrying over nothing like this? Or have I just embarrassed myself in front of the whole Interweb? Share your wisdom, people.
Namaste.
Electronicbaglady's Bag of Bits 
You are not the only one. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my FWP that I have to take a step back and be like okay there are people that have it bad really bad and I am over here complaining about what?????? I guess it’s easy to forget how bad it is out there when it’s not so bad where your at! Thanks for the share!
I know – it’s easy to get sucked into it isn’t it? Best to laugh at ourselves and carry on 🙂
Posted with humour but how right you are. I listened to a woman on the radio recently complaining that she was ‘trapped’ in her house as the bus no longer stopped outside so she had half a mile to walk to town each day. Her life had become a nightmare. When did we lose perspective?
I know – “we can’t afford holidays abroad” particularly winds me up! I suppose it’s all good practice for being a Grumpy Old Woman 🙂
Oh gosh, you’re so not the only one. Today, I was griping about the slow internet at work (which was still going at nearly cable speed), when a construction worker from the road about a mile up came in and asked to use our restrooms. He was soaking wet and I guess the other shopkeepers didn’t let him come in. And that’s a job in my very privileged city, in a very privileged state, in a very privileged country. I felt guilty for even complaining about mine for a second!
Great post. 🙂 And I agree… tea > showering. 😀
It’s that horrible moment when you see yourself from the outside! In the UK we are struggling with the rise of food banks despite alleged economic improvements. Still I complain about the groceries being delivered to my door. ..
So glad we are clear about the importance of tea though!