Why am I complaining?

[Nicolelt]

I wasn't sure where to put this thread, I guess it made me feel more positive about my life, so I'll put it here.

Today I got paid, and Rent is due, and bills are due. I had been stressing out all week about how I only had $50 in my bank account, and couldn't wait to get paid and get that stuff paid. I hate being broke, but it's a part of starting out in life, right?

Anyways, I grew up well, my dad owned a business and my mom worked, money wasn't an issue as far as me as a kid worrying if the electric bill would get paid. And now I'm on my own, and I can fend for myself, but at times am living paycheck to paycheck, like this month.

Today one of the special needs students came into my classroom to sell me a spaghetti dinner ticket for a fundraiser for choir. I don't have her in class, but I go down to the function room everyday to get my daily Dr. Pepper, and all those kids know what I want when I go down there.

She stuck around and started talking about her life, and how she has to work at the hospital so next year she can pay for her cap and gown, or she hopes that her grandma can help her. She told me that this week her water might get shut off because her parents hadn't paid for it yet. She went on about how her parents couldn't find jobs as well.

As a young teacher, I have heard stories about kids like this, where a kid has to worry about their home life. I never had a student open up an tell me problems like this. And moments like this, all I could do is listen, because I didn't know what to say.

I really made think about how my life is not bad at all! I can pay for my rent and my bills, and yea, I may only have a little bit left after everything is paid off, but I have something. Makes me feel like why the hell am I complaining?

 

[jaguarundi]

^Well said. And in other countries people can be even worse off than that.

It's great that this student opened up to you like that, and trusted you, even if you could not find anything to say at that point.

 

[Sci-Fi]

It's different for you, you went from not having to worry about anything to having the worry about everything. It's an adjustment and natural for you to complain about something that makes you worry. Everyone complains about something in their life, you just happened to come across someone who helped put things in prospective for you. And at the same time you gave this student an ear, you both helped each other out. The student was able to get something of their chest and in turn helped you realize your life isn't so bad. Seems like you both walked away probably feeling a bit better. Good for you for taking the time to listen to this student too.

 

[GraceBlossom]

^ That, thanks for sharing.

 

[Regumika]

This reminds me of the Story of the rich father.

====

“One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, ‘How was the trip?’

’It was great, Dad.’

‘Did you see how poor people live,’ the father asked.

‘Oh yeah,’ said the son.

‘So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip,’ asked the father.

The son answered:
‘I saw that we have one dog and they had four.’

‘We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.’

’We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.’

‘Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.’

‘We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.’

‘We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.’

‘We buy our food, but they grow theirs.’

‘We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.’

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, ‘Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.’”

 

[GraceBlossom]

^ I have heard this before somewhere, always humbles me when I re-read it .

 

[Edward W]

I was just thinking the other night, Ok, I'm not rich, but I have a heated home to live in, running water, TV, Internet, a bed, food in the cupboards and though my car is old, I DO still have a car and it works fine and gets me where I need to go.

I'm sure some people would consider me very rich indeed.

 

[kamya]

Imagine if you had kids. I'm in a similar money situation as you. Most of the people I graduated with have kids now. I don't know how they can possibly afford it.

 

[Nicolelt]

I was just thinking the other night, Ok, I'm not rich, but I have a heated home to live in, running water, TV, Internet, a bed, food in the cupboards and though my car is old, I DO still have a car and it works fine and gets me where I need to go.

I'm sure some people would consider me very rich indeed.

I know! I have had the same truck I have had since I was 17. It's runs good, but my tailpipe fell off so it sounds bad. BUT it is still better than some people's car.

Imagine if you had kids. I'm in a similar money situation as you. Most of the people I graduated with have kids now. I don't know how they can possibly afford it.

I have no idea how people my age with kids deal. My mom and dad had me at my age, and I don't know how they made it work.

 

[Anahita]

⬆They made it work because they expected it might be a bit tough, but they were prepared for that. They didn't think that a kid had to have designer clothes and crib, or that they should expect as parents to still have a late model automobile each, plus a demanding job, a nanny and all the latest electronic gizzmos.

In short ... they sacrificed. Somewhere along the way, we don't seem to want to do that... Who had the best idea?

 

[beautiful loser]

"I really made think about how my life is not bad at all! I can pay for my rent and my bills, and yea, I may only have a little bit left after everything is paid off, but I have something. Makes me feel like why the hell am I complaining?"

Reminds me of this email I received many years ago, about the next time you are complaining about parking so far from the mall during the days leading up to Christmas and having to endure such a "long" walk to the doors. Well, think about the paraplegic that would give anything to walk that distance and be happy to do so.

 

[sk66rc]

"I complained I had no shoes till the day I saw a man with no feet"... Not sure where I've read that but I always try to remember this phrase...