Nothing in the world?? Really?
I meant my world.
If I could change the world, none of us would be here.
No. Haven’t found long term occupational stability as of yet. Everything else in life is dependent on work and income. Maybe in a parallel universe somewhere I’ve got it good…
That’s why I said only 80 percent 
jamiemcgarry you just won the thread.
[hijack] just so you know that not everyone is insensitive to the problems the wheelchair bound have, last winter, I was going to adoptions and saw a fellow volunteer struggling to get her wheelchair up the snow and ice covered ramp. I ran over to her, dumped my purse and a cat carrier on her lap and shoved her up the ramp and ran us into the store. I was prompty bitched out by a stranger who told me that my actions were very disrespectful to her and that I should have given her the choice to have help. Not to mention that using her lap like a shopping cart was wrong. Many people do care enough to speak up, even if they are clueless [/hijack]
I think that everyone has problems and concerns in their lives that they wish they could get rid of. They just sort of track with that “hierarchy of needs” thing. If you’re cold and hungry, your problems revolve around food and shelter. If you’re broke, then your problems revolve around money. If you’re relatively flush, your problems revolve around job stress and personal growth.
I don’t really think that one person’s problems are any less valid than another’s, but one person’s problems can be more immediately consequential than another’s. The guy who’s starving has a more immediate problem than the wealthy lawyer whose job stress is going to give him a heart attack, but the stress is no less of a problem.
In the ways that count though, I have things pretty great. I have a great wife who loves me and I love her back, we have a baby on the way, we have a good house, decent cars, I have a good job and we have some money socked away. We have the wherewithal to pursue our hobbies and do some occasional traveling outside the country.
monstro, your post reminded me of one of my favorite stories. (It’s not a lesson to you, mind you–you sound like you’re doing just fine attitude-wise. 
)
I had a college professor (I was majoring in special ed) who was this tiny, beautiful, delicate-looking woman who had the presence of several large intimidating men. When she spoke–quietly, always–you shut up and listened.
One day she caught a bunch of us taking the elevator to the 3rd floor. In class she gave us a short and extremely effective speech about how there are people in the world who can’t walk, can’t see, can’t hear, and there are also people in the world who will circle a parking lot for ten minutes waiting for a closer spot, or perfectly healthy people who would wait for an elevator rather than climb three flights of stairs. And maybe the next time we were considering whether to take the elevator we should (and here she went into that special mode of hers) “just be glad that you have legs!” The guilt she inspired was amazing. I don’t think any of us took an elevator again for at least the rest of the year.
So, six years later I was taking grad courses and ran into an old classmate. She was 7 months pregnant and had lost her first child when the baby was 6 months old. She had seriously been through the wringer, you know? One day we were going to class (on the 5th floor) and I followed her as she went up the stairs. Every landing, she would stop and catch her breath and it was obviously difficult for her.
Finally, about the 3rd floor, I asked her if she would rather just go take the elevator. She took a deep breath and said, “No…I’m just glad…I’ve got fucking legs.”
So even today, when things feel really hard, I remind myself and my kids of that.
And we still hardly ever take an elevator.
I think those types of experiences can really shape our lifeviews.
People can say money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it sure is necessary for establishing a solid foundation. I’m sorry you haven’t found that stability yet, and I’ll cross my fingers for you.
Better than I deserve. Great marriage to a wonderful wife; two smart, nice, happy children. An income that is sufficient to allow my wife to only work part time, from home. A job that, while I’m not thrilled to come to work every day, I don’t hate. We’re not wealthy but we’re not living hand-to-mouth and we have no debt except a reasonable mortgage. We drive old, crappy cars but don’t have to worry about being able to pay for gas or repairs when needed. A good number of friends and a lot of family nearby. Pretty damn good.
Yeah, I can’t complain. I’m not happy with my new job, but it may get better. Only been there two days. If it sucks, I’ll grab another.
Beyond that, I have what I need from life and most of what I want. I’d like to have that special someone in my life, but if I can’t find her, I can’t. She may turn up one day.
Sure. I make rent, and whatever else I need, doing something I like to do. The whole lack of good health insurance and lack of living in a city are soluble problems (soluble by me, for me), but they get me down sometimes, as does everything else. I can eat, and I can sleep without being savaged by ruffians, so I feel glad to live in U.S. at every moment.
No kidding, eh? Job I love, husband I love, family, friends, pets, a comfortable living, fulfilling hobbies, and a conspicuous lack of personal tragedy in any form. I try not to spend too much time worrying about karma biting me in the ass.
See you at the 12th floor. I’m just glad I’ve got fucking fingers to push the elevator button!
I really can’t complain at this point.
My job is stable, with some prospects for advancement; finances are not a problem; the Kiddo managed to make it through 7th grade without either of us killing him; we’re all healthy; all-in-all things are pretty good. Life is not without its challenges, but any time I feel like complaining too much I just have to compare myself to all the people in the world who can’t open their laptop, connect wirelessly to their high-speed Internet, and then complain on a message board about how much their life sucks…and then I feel a little better.