Having a tough time with the 6 a.m. wake up this week. But then, driving into work and listening to the news on NPR, we were reminded once again of how very fortunate we are...so many privileges and services that we take for granted, while elsewhere folks are woken up by bombs, or news of loved ones killed by bombs. And we're reminded of the devoted folks in the military who sleep on the cold ground if they sleep at all. And the news guy that gave the report this morning, embedded with the troops and reporting on those killed, perhaps because he believes it is so important that people know what's happening 'over there' and that we remember, and maybe we'll stop and appreciate what we have, maybe even give a little prayer of thanks and safekeeping.
Sure, I would've loved a snow delay this morning. But then, I'm just grateful I have a job, and my daughter has the privilege of going to school every day, and we wake up in a warm house, with four loving (er, hungry...) cats, and we put on clean clothes and eat our breakfast and drive our car to said job and school, and this weekend I'll have the opportunity to spend time with family or friends, enjoying food, art, wine, and music.
Yeah, I guess getting up at 6 a.m. is a very, very small price to pay.
I wrestle with the same feelings at times, Lori. You hear about the horrible things going on around the world, with very little said about the good that is being done, and it makes you feel guilty for wanting to bitch about the small inconveniences in life (i.e., having to wake up early in the morning to go to work). I do think that turning things around to their positives is a productive way to shake ourselves out of that dirge. For instance, what positive outcomes happen from waking at 6 a.m.? Sure, it's awesome to get to sleep in, but what does 6 a.m. offer to our lives (other than crusty eye boogers and stuffy noses!). Of course, some people just aren't morning people, even some soldiers might say that!
ReplyDeleteIt is easy for me to write this from the comfort of my home for which I can almost meet the mortgage payments each month, and from this life for which I can almost afford. There is no real difficulty involved, and for that I am intrinsically thankful. However, I sometimes wonder what I did in another lifetime to be given the opportunity to be born in the United States, whether I am shirking that opportunity or the responsibility that accompanies it; or if it was just luck of the draw, then why I was so damn lucky. Then I start to think about how disconnected and phony parts of this life are, and I begin to wonder if the picture I paint of it might not be different if I was living somewhere else. Hmmmm, I'll take my luck, my comfort, the ease any day if I have a choice, but I imagine there are plenty of things we miss out on while living the way we do.
Something we can do is to be aware, play a part in life, and in a way that is possible, help others.