Things Are Not as Bad as We Think They Are
If you watch any of the dozens of survival reality shows, or any zombie movies, you probably know there are five basic ingredients for survival: oxygen, water, food, shelter and sleep. (Oh, and six, if you count not being zombie food.) After that, it’s all gravy boats and frosting.
I’m not suggesting you have no right to complain about the price of gas, or water, for that matter. I’m just saying that it might be a good idea to keep your perspective.
According to the World Health Organization, some 844 million people don’t have access to safe drinking water, and 35 percent of the global population lacks soap and water for adequate sanitation.
Yeah, EPCOR’s bills are higher than Anthem’s east-side residents would like, but we’re not bathing in our neighbor’s poop (sorry for that visual).
It’s been just 80 years since the good ol’ US of A was dealing with 20 percent unemployment, and most of us can vividly remember the Great Recession a few years back. (For the record, I’d prefer they call it the Terrible Recession, but that’s another article). With all that’s not great in the world, I think it’s safe to say that if you’re reading this, the odds are good you ate today.
I admit, I complain as much as the next guy or gal. I’m writing this as much as a tonic for my own self as I am preaching to the cheap seats. To quote the amazingly talented Gladys Knight:
As bad as we think they are
These will become the good old days of our children
And compared to other times and other places, we’ve got it pretty good. It’s all a matter of perspective. We can choose to watch (or not) Bear Grylls reveal how to recycle our own liquid waste (sorry, there’s no good way to describe that), but we are, fortunately, not obliged to practice the method.
